Alex watched Gloria until her silhouette disappeared behind the hospital doors.
"That's a pretty strange name for a medical facility," he thought, examining the sign.
Once Gloria was out of sight, Alex pondered how to pass the time until Lucy called. His first thought was to just ride around the city and explore, but he quickly dismissed it, realizing that with his luck, he'd end up in some trouble that would drag on and take up a lot of time.
"Given my luck, sightseeing around the city isn't the best idea right now," Alex muttered, lighting a cigarette.
He stayed in the hospital parking lot. Smoking and reflecting, Alex concluded that Lucy was probably still asleep and decided to occupy himself by searching for useful information. Pulling out his phone, he began scrolling through the news feed, trying to get a sense of what was happening in the city.
"Murder, another murder, gang shootout, new club opening, discounts on chrome..." he muttered, flipping through the news.
Alex took a deep drag and exhaled smoke through his nose, tiredly resting his hand on his forehead. Everything he saw in the news was violence and crime.
"This city's a dump... I'll need to prepare something for Gloria's protection, just in case," he said aloud, continuing to scroll through the news.
Finally, his gaze stopped on a fresh news report from the scene. On screen, he saw Gloria, along with other medics, covering a gurney with a body and loading it into an ambulance. The report discussed a theft of implants from the corporation "Militech," which were currently being sought.
"Oh, Gloria, you're already in the spotlight..." Alex muttered with a crooked smile, watching the scene unfold on the screen.
He studied the report closely, trying to find any clues or suspects. But it seemed "Militech" preferred to keep information under wraps, conducting their own investigation.
"If they haven't approached Gloria yet, it means they haven't made any progress. Or they're waiting for the idiot who stole the implants to give himself away so they can kill him and retrieve the data," Alex thought aloud, stroking his chin.
"Alright, I'll deal with problems as they come," he said, tossing the cigarette butt aside.
Alex continued to scroll through the news, not noticing that he had been standing in one spot for an entire hour. He smirked, realizing he had once again wasted a lot of time, staring at the screen.
"Here we go again," he chuckled, continuing to scroll through the feed, even though he knew it might drag on even longer.
Without realizing how it happened, Alex found himself on a website selling cyberimplants and got engrossed in reviewing the offerings. He was considering ordering a few options for his workshop to dismantle and possibly improve.
But his research was suddenly interrupted by a call from an unknown number. Alex's face twisted into a disgruntled grimace.
"Military base 'Sunshine,' Captain Valdigod speaking. How can I help you?" he answered in a commanding tone.
There was complete silence from the other end of the line. Alex suppressed a laugh, realizing he had confused the caller. After a few seconds, Lucy's voice came through, clearly showing her confusion.
"This isn't funny, Alex. I almost thought I dialed the wrong number," she said in an embarrassed tone.
Even without seeing her, Alex knew Lucy was caught off guard by his joke. He knew that she and the others were at fault for calling from blocked numbers—his favorite target for such jokes. Back in his previous life, he never answered such calls without a sarcastic comment.
"Sorry, couldn't resist. When I get a call from a blocked number, it's just too tempting," Alex said apologetically, trying to smooth over his joke.
Lucy didn't respond, but it was clear she was still embarrassed.
"Where are you?" she asked, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation and deciding to change the subject.
Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise and simply smirked at Lucy's reaction, which showed she preferred not to discuss his joke.
"I'm by the hospital where Gloria works. I accompanied her, just in case. I've been hanging out in the parking lot for an hour, deciding to read the news," Alex admitted with slight embarrassment, realizing how much time he had spent scrolling through useless news.
Lucy sighed heavily, and Alex heard it clearly. She understood he was just trying to learn more about the city, although the news rarely reveals the full picture.
"Did you learn much? What's your opinion of the city now?" Lucy asked, her curiosity evident.
Alex pondered, choosing the word that best described his impression of what he had seen. Only one word came to mind.
"I can say this city is a real shit," Alex answered honestly, recalling the horrors depicted in the news feed.
Lucy wasn't surprised. Most who lived there felt the same way. But some stayed, either because they had nowhere else to go or because they found the freedom they longed for in the chaos.
"That's true. As they say, you can either love this city or want to burn it to the ground," Lucy said, sharing his opinion.
Alex silently took out a cigarette and lit it, contemplating her words. For some, this city was paradise; for others, it was hell from which escape was only possible through death.
"By the way, why are you calling so early? I thought you'd still be sleeping. After all, as they say, girls need beauty sleep to stay beautiful," Alex added with a smirk, exhaling smoke through his nose.
Lucy blushed again at his words. Like any girl, she valued a good night's sleep, but today she had work that required her attention.
"I'm calling on business. Didn't Main tell you anything?" her voice had a hint of confusion.
"He called this morning, said I was accepted into the team, and mentioned some details. And he said you'd explain about the work," Alex replied, getting off his motorcycle to stretch his legs.
He could almost hear Lucy pressing her hand to her forehead in irritation over Main's carelessness.
"Never mind. Come over to me, I'm waiting," she said, and immediately Alex received a message with the address.
"Okay, I'll be there soon," Alex quickly replied, ending the call before Lucy could finish.
He threw his phone onto the motorcycle's dashboard and entered the address into the navigator. The address pointed to the H8 megatower. Alex was surprised, not understanding why Lucy lived in such an unwelcoming place. Megatowers resembled giant anthills for people.
Alex was already dreaming of earning enough to take Gloria and move to a safer place. However, that was still just a future plan—he only had 8,000 ED, and unless he exchanged the gold valises, he wasn't expecting any other income. But it was better not to rush with the exchange to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
"Well, it's time to go," Alex muttered, tossing the cigarette butt and getting back on his motorcycle.
Starting "Fenrir," he set off, following the route laid out by the navigator. At one of the intersections, where Alex stopped for a red light, he noticed a group of strange people.
They looked like cowboys or Texas police, but in bulletproof vests. Their vests had an embroidery of a skull on a flag background and the number six on the skull itself.
"Are those the local police?" Alex wondered, scrutinizing them as he waited for the light to turn green.
Alex looked carefully at the men, and those he initially mistook for police immediately met his gaze. They first examined Alex and then shifted their gaze to his motorcycle. This made him doubt their affiliation with law enforcement. They were more likely members of some gang.
"I need to find out what this pathetic parody of cowboys and Texas cops is," Alex thought, turning away and noticing that the traffic light had already turned yellow.
When the light turned green, Alex continued on his way. However, the "cowboys" kept watching him, seemingly intrigued by the guy on an expensive bike in a neighborhood where such transportation seemed out of place. He drove on, ignoring their intense gazes. Soon, he encountered a traffic jam on the bridge caused by a collision between two cars.
"Are you kidding me?" Alex muttered as he stopped in front of the line of cars.
He decided to reroute around the jam. To his surprise, the new route was even shorter. Speeding up to save time, Alex soon arrived at the H8 megatower where Lucy lived. He stopped nearby and called her.
"I'm here," he said as soon as she answered.
Lucy was surprised that Alex had arrived so quickly. She had only recently sent him the address, not knowing he had his own transportation.
"Alright, I'll be down now," she replied and ended the call.
Alex turned off the engine, got off the motorcycle, and, leaning on the bike, lit a cigarette while waiting. Out of habit, he reached for his phone to check the news and soon found information about the cause of the accident. It turned out that a cyberpsycho had hijacked a car and gone into oncoming traffic, colliding with another vehicle.
"Well, that's not news anymore," he said to himself, reading the article.
Meanwhile, Lucy, surprised at how quickly Alex had arrived, didn't dwell on it for long. She quickly changed into casual clothes—she wasn't going to go outside in her home attire. After a light touch-up of her makeup, she glanced in the mirror, fixing any stray hair. Already about to leave, she remembered the package she needed to bring. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Lucy checked to make sure she had everything.
"Doesn't look like I forgot anything," she muttered to herself.
Locking her apartment, Lucy headed to the elevator, still pondering how Alex had made it from the hospital to her place so quickly. Deciding she'd ask him about it when they met, she exited the building and began scanning the area for Alex. He was nowhere in sight, and her face frowned. She dialed his number.
"Where are you?" Lucy asked, looking around.
Alex, who was currently scrolling through news on his phone, saw the incoming call. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, he answered, and Lucy's first question made him think. But then he looked up and saw her standing by the entrance to the building, looking around puzzled. He smiled.
"Look right in front of you," Alex said, raising his hand and waving.
Lucy raised an eyebrow, not understanding why he said that. But, following his instruction, she finally noticed Alex standing on the other side of the street next to his motorcycle and waving at her. Her surprise at him having a bike quickly turned into curiosity.
"Where did he get that?" Lucy wondered as she headed towards him.
Alex saw that Lucy had spotted him and was heading his way. He patiently waited for her to cross the street before greeting her properly. When she approached, it was clear from her expression that she had questions.
"Yo," Alex said, raising his hand in greeting.
Lucy gave him a dry look, clearly unimpressed by his greeting.
"Hi to you too. Where did you get that bike?" she asked, not wasting any time.
Alex smirked, unsure how to respond. He thought that if he showed her the rainbow trick again, Lucy might react like Gloria and faint.
"You won't believe it, but today some weird guy ran up to me and said he was selling the bike cheap," Alex said with a tone as if he were surprised by the event himself.
Lucy looked at him with clear skepticism, understanding that he was making things up.
"Yeah, sure. And he sold a brand-new bike for almost nothing?" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Alex realized that Lucy wasn't buying his story, but decided that the best way to keep up the legend was to continue it.
"How did you figure it out?" he asked in a feigned tone of surprise.
Lucy gave him a look that clearly said, "Are you serious?" She clearly didn't believe him.
"Seriously?" she asked, handing him the bag.
Alex took it and, after a moment's thought, decided to confess:
"The bike was mine, it was just returned to me," he said, placing the bag into one of the compartments meant for weapons.
Lucy, who had thought Alex was part of some secret organization and had escaped from it, was surprised that his bike was returned so easily.
"And they just gave it back to you like that?" she asked, examining the bike with interest.
Alex realized that Lucy had misunderstood him again. She apparently thought he had escaped from an organization and that they had returned his bike to avoid further contact. He decided it was best not to dispel her illusions just yet.
"Something like, 'Take your junk and don't let us see you again,'" Alex said with a look of disgust.
Lucy stopped examining the bike and looked at him with surprise, half believing him. She understood that he wasn't telling the whole truth but decided not to press further. After all, they had only known each other for a day, and trust still had to be earned. However, she felt that Alex already trusted her enough to share at least something.
"Well, if you say so," Lucy replied, temporarily accepting his words but deciding she would find out more when he was ready to share.
Alex was slightly surprised that she didn't continue to question him. He had already come up with a whole story he was planning to tell.
"I thought you'd keep asking questions," he said, looking at Lucy in surprise.
But she just got on the bike and looked at him.
"You'll tell the rest when you're ready," Lucy said gently, reminding him of how she hadn't immediately opened up to Main's team after escaping from Arasaka.
Alex grimaced, disappointed that he couldn't boast about his story. He had already come up with a way to replace the words about divine failures with something more fitting for this world.
"Well, if you say so. I was about to start bragging," he said with a pout, feigning hurt.
Lucy laughed at his childish expression and didn't correct him.
"You can brag another time. For now, let's go," she said, patting the seat in front of her.
Alex sighed, got on the bike, and started the engine. He glanced over his shoulder at Lucy, as if hoping she could read his mind. Lucy raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his look.
"What?" she asked, not understanding what Alex was trying to say.
"Address," Alex replied shortly, realizing that, alas, the power of the Jedi had not yet awakened.
Lucy blushed slightly, remembering that Main hadn't given Alex the details of today's assignment.
"I'll send it now," she said, her eyes lighting up slightly.
Alex looked at his phone, where the address had appeared. He immediately set up the route on his navigator. The destination turned out to be the "Lizzis" bar. Alex didn't understand why they were going there but decided he would find out when they arrived. Before setting off, he reminded Lucy to hold on tight.
"Hold on so you don't fall off on the way. Gloria has already experienced what it's like to ride with me," he said with a smile.
Lucy looked at Alex in confusion, not understanding what he meant or what kind of experience Gloria had had. Alex started moving slowly, as the road was congested with cars. Lucy thought he was just joking. But as soon as the traffic light turned green, she understood why he had warned her.
Alex revved the engine sharply, instantly picking up speed. The sudden jolt made Lucy cling to him, trying not to fall off. But unlike Gloria, who had been scared, Lucy felt a surge of adrenaline and enjoyed the sensation of speed. She was impressed by the agility with which Alex maneuvered between cars, especially on turns.
"This is just awesome," Lucy thought, holding on tightly and glancing over his shoulder at the road.
Arriving at the "Lizzis" bar, Alex smoothly turned around and stopped right in front of the entrance, parking skillfully. Although it was morning, two bouncers were standing by the entrance and looked at him with surprise.
"Nice parking, handsome," one of them said with a smirk.
Alex turned his head toward the voice and saw two women with bats. He raised an eyebrow, surprised to see female bouncers.
"Uh... thanks," he replied with a slight nod.
The girl was amused by his response and wondered what this guy was doing here so early in the morning.
"So, what brings you here, handsome?" she asked with curiosity.
Alex didn't know how to answer since he wasn't sure why they had come. He glanced at Lucy, who was still clinging to him. If it had been someone else, Alex thought, Lucy could have broken his ribs with her grip.
The bouncer noticed this and, seeing his confusion, smiled slightly. But when her gaze fell on Lucy's familiar white hair, she looked at Alex in surprise.
"Lucy, nice to see you. I see you've found yourself a boyfriend," the bouncer said with a smirk.
Lucy peered out from behind Alex's shoulder and saw who was talking to her. It was a girl with purple hair, dressed in a torn tank top that barely covered her chest. The most notable feature was her cybernetic arms and a pair of guns under her armpits.
"Nice to see you, Rita," Lucy replied, getting off Alex's bike.
Rita, one of the bouncers at the "Lizzis" bar, clearly knew Lucy, Alex thought, as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Rita's gaze shifted from Lucy to Alex, who was now lazily smoking while sitting on his bike.
"I gotta say, Lucy, you've got yourself a good-looking guy," Rita said with a smirk, appraising Alex.
Lucy blushed at her words. It wasn't that Alex was unattractive—especially his eyes, which were striking—but they had only met yesterday. Although he had made a good impression, talking about any feelings seemed premature. However, she didn't correct Rita.
"Rita, is Suzy around?" Lucy quickly changed the subject.
Rita noticed Lucy's attempt to steer the conversation away and smirked, thinking Lucy was just embarrassed.
"Where else would she be? As always, hanging out in her room," Rita replied casually, slinging her bat over her shoulder.
Lucy nodded and looked at Alex, who was still sitting on his bike and smoking, observing their conversation.
"Are you going to stay there much longer?" she asked, looking at him.
Alex tilted his head slightly, surprised by her question. Lucy hadn't explained the nature of their task or their role, and unfortunately, he couldn't read minds—well, he could, but it wouldn't be very tactful without consent. And villains, of course, were an exception; their thoughts could be read even through force.
"Mmm, you didn't explain what work we're doing today, so I'm just waiting for you to finish talking with your friend," Alex said, tilting his head to the side.
Lucy felt awkward, realizing that she was at fault for the situation—she had indeed forgotten to explain to Alex what they were doing. Seeing Lucy's embarrassment, Rita found it even more amusing.
"Ha, he got you, girl," Rita laughed, noticing how the usually cold Lucy suddenly became flustered.
Alex smiled at Lucy, waiting for an explanation.
"So, what about the job?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Lucy narrowed her eyes, seeing how carefree he was.
"You're the bodyguard today," she said, still looking at him with narrowed eyes.
Rita glanced at Alex and, seeing his lean figure, furrowed her brow slightly. He didn't look like a typical bodyguard, but she had long learned that appearances could be deceiving. One should never underestimate someone based solely on their looks.
"Well then," Alex drawled lazily, shrugging, tossing the cigarette butt away, and getting off the bike.
When Alex stood up to his full height, Rita was pleasantly surprised—he was much taller than he initially appeared. She even let out a quiet whistle.
"I see you're lucky Lucy, you've found yourself a handsome guy . I'd even say I'm envious," Rita said with a light chuckle.
Lucy just smiled, not saying anything in response. Meanwhile, Alex took a bag from a compartment on his bike, slung it over his shoulder, and walked over to Lucy. Rita, who was standing nearby, involuntarily looked up to meet his gaze.
"It's time to get to work," Lucy said firmly, heading towards the bar. Alex followed her. As they passed by Rita, who continued to watch them, he heard her voice:
"Hey, cutie, if you want to have some fun, I've got something interesting for you," Rita said with a hint of mockery.
Alex turned his head toward Rita, not understanding what she meant. Just as he was about to ask what kind of fun she was talking about, Lucy, noticing he had stopped, approached and took his hand, not letting the conversation continue. He only managed to see the mischievous smile on Rita's face as Lucy pulled him into the bar.
"Heh, jealous Lucy. You don't see that often. If I tell the girls, they won't believe it," Rita said with a smirk, stopping to watch the pair.
Inside, Alex looked around. The bar was bathed in neon lights that shifted between pink and purple. Even at this early hour, there were quite a few people: some were chatting with waitresses who looked like they could be more than just staff.
Alex immediately thought the place resembled a strip club, and his guess was confirmed when he saw a girl dancing on a pole. Not wanting to linger on this, he turned his attention to Lucy, who was watching him intently, almost piercingly.
"Don't like it?" she asked with a slight smirk, raising an eyebrow.
At first, Alex thought she might be jealous, but he quickly dismissed that thought—they had only known each other for a day, and it was unlikely Lucy had developed such feelings so soon.
"I don't like places like this. The atmosphere is too strange for me," Alex admitted honestly.
Lucy didn't reply but continued to watch him, as if fearing he might start staring at the dancing girls again. When they reached the bar, she pointed to a chair.
"Sit and wait while I finish up. And don't think about hitting on the girls," she warned, taking the bag from Alex.
He just grunted, puzzled as to why she felt the need to say that. He was practically married, and places like this didn't interest him at all. Even in Danmachi, he had never visited the red-light district, except when he accidentally ended up there to rescue Haruhime or when he was briefly captured by Ishtar's people.
"Why would I need to do that?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Lucy glanced at him once more and sighed heavily, realizing he was probably not the type to hit on everyone.
"I warned you," she said, turning and heading to the second floor.
Alex watched her leave, raising an eyebrow in surprise, but he didn't dwell on it further. Turning to the bartender, he saw a strange guy in a bright shirt that resembled a Hawaiian one, with gray cybernetic eyes.
"What will you be ordering, handsome?" the bartender asked, casting a friendly smile at Alex.
Alex thought for a moment, deciding he could have a drink while Lucy was busy.
"Something light. And an ashtray, if possible," he replied.
"One moment, handsome," the bartender said, pulling a drink from the fridge.
Alex watched him, trying to figure out why he was so friendly but decided it was probably just part of his job to be polite and helpful to customers.
"Here's your drink, handsome," the bartender said, placing the glass in front of Alex. He continued, polishing the glass: "Who would have thought there'd be someone who could melt Lucy's heart."
Alex looked at the bartender, surprised, not understanding what he was talking about. Mateo, noticing his confusion, decided to continue the conversation.
"My name is Mateo," he introduced himself, "I'm the bartender here."
"Alex," Alex nodded in response, pulling out a cigarette. "What did you mean about Lucy?"
Mateo noticed Alex taking a cigarette and handed him a lighter, helping him light it.
"That's what I was talking about. Lucy often works with our boss, handling various tasks, and every time someone hits on her, she quickly shuts them down. I was really surprised today when I saw she brought a guy with her and even warned him not to hit on our girls," Mateo explained, continuing to polish the glass and observing Alex's reaction.
Alex understood what the bartender was talking about and felt a bit embarrassed. There was no relationship between him and Lucy—they had just met, and during their first meeting, she had made it clear that she would keep an eye on him.
"So, is this place your gang's base or what?" Alex asked, looking at Mateo.
"Didn't you know?" Mateo asked, giving Alex a puzzled look.
"I've only recently arrived in the city, so I haven't had time to figure things out yet," Alex replied.
Mateo nodded and began explaining. From his account, Alex learned that their gang was called "Moxes" and they helped various people from the lower rungs of society—from sex workers and pimps to freaks, members of the LGBT community, and punks.
The gang had been established relatively recently, and their activities focused on supporting those whom society usually ignored. Alex wanted to ask a few more questions to gather more information, but he was interrupted.
"Hey, handsome, don't you want to have a good time?" he heard a female voice.
Alex turned and saw a girl in a revealing outfit sitting next to him, gazing at him intently. Mateo watched with interest, observing how Alex would handle the situation without intervening.
"Sorry, darling, but I'm married," Alex replied politely.
The girl looked at him in surprise, but married men often came to this place and didn't mind a little entertainment, so she wasn't going to give up easily.
"Oh, don't worry, married men come here all the time. It doesn't stop them from having fun," she said, moving closer and trailing her finger along his arm.
Alex felt the situation slipping out of control. He began to look around for an exit and saw Lucy descending with a woman. A plan quickly formed in his mind.
"Sorry, my wife is here," Alex said, quickly standing up and moving away from the girl.
He headed towards Lucy with quick steps, so rapidly that it surprised her.
"My beloved wife, how I've missed you! You can't imagine!" Alex said loud enough for the girl at the bar to hear.
Lucy looked at Alex in surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly at being called his wife. But seeing his panicked glance toward the bar, she understood what was happening.
She glanced at the girl, who was watching them in astonishment, and realized that Alex had simply used her as a cover, but she actually liked that he had called her his wife.
"Sorry, darling, I got a bit held up," Lucy said, deciding to play along with him.
Alex smiled in relief, knowing that Lucy had supported his plan. The woman walking beside Lucy looked at them in surprise, puzzled at how Lucy, usually so cold and aloof, was now playing the role of a caring wife.
"Lucy, don't you want to introduce me to your husband?" the woman asked, looking from Lucy to Alex.
Lucy blushed and decided to introduce the woman standing next to her to Alex.
"Sorry for the delay. Alex, this is Susanna Quinn, but everyone calls her Suzy. She's the boss here, and we work with her often," Lucy said, introducing Suzy.
Alex looked at the woman in front of him. Suzy had chocolate-colored skin and wore a short yellow jacket over something that looked like a blue swimsuit, if it could even be called a swimsuit. She had black gloves adorned with purple spikes.
"Suzy, this is Alex, he... um... how should I put it..." Lucy hesitated, unsure of how to continue.
"Your husband, of course. I understand you're embarrassed to introduce him," Suzy teased, smirking.
Lucy bashfully turned away, casting a glance at Alex as if to say, "This is all your fault."
"Nice to meet you, Suzy," Alex said, extending his hand for a handshake.
"Likewise, Alex. Just make sure to take good care of our Lucy. She's a great support to us," Suzy replied, giving his hand a firm shake.
Alex looked at Suzy and realized that despite her dubious business, she genuinely cared about Lucy, who apparently had helped her and her people more than once.
"Don't worry, it's my duty," Alex said with a slight smile, calmly freeing his hand from her grasp.
Suzy raised an eyebrow in surprise, clearly not expecting Alex to handle her strong handshake so easily. She noted to herself that he was not just any guy—he was clearly stronger than he appeared at first glance.
Lucy, unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, grabbed Alex's hand and hurried him towards the exit.
Alex cast a farewell glance at Suzy, who waved him goodbye. He gave a slight wave in return as Lucy led him outside.
Once they were out, Alex immediately noticed some kind of argument and, narrowing his eyes, scrutinized one side of the conflict. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, well, is that my old friend..." Alex said with a smile, looking at the person causing the commotion.
To be continued...