Jemmy rode down the familiar, dimly lit path toward the DWZ, the sounds of the city fading behind her. As she neared the entrance, her eyes caught sight of a figure walking ahead. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized him immediately. It was Melton, the same enigmatic man she had seen before. She rode over, curiosity getting the better of her.
She rides slowly beside him with him saying nothing, not even acknowledging her.
"Really?" she called out as she dismounted her bike. "So you just want to keep walking?"
Melton barely glanced her way, his expression stoic as ever. "I'm not the one who stopped someone going their own way," he muttered, continuing his pace without missing a beat.
Jemmy scoffed and crossed her arms. "Fine. Hop on, then. I'm heading to DWZ too."
He shook his head with a faint, indifferent smile. "Uh, no thanks. I'll walk my way there."
Jemmy rolled her eyes, frustration clear in her voice. "You really are one strong-headed bastard, aren't you?"
Melton remained silent, his cold demeanor unwavering. Jemmy, never one to back down, matched his pace with her bike rolling beside her.
"Well, do what you want. I take it you're back to DWZ for more jobs because you got something nice off the first one, yeah?"
Melton's gaze remained forward, his voice clipped and distant. "Maybe. Doesn't concern you, does it?"
Jemmy sighed, her patience wearing thin. "You're really a piece of work, you know that? Most guys would kill for a ride. You're not even going to ask how I knew about your first mission?"
Melton finally turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "I don't need to ask. DWZ's full of people who talk too much. Gossip travels fast."
She shrugged, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Fair enough. But listen, rumor has it you almost got yourself killed last time. Better be careful. Not every merc likes someone in the spotlight."
Melton's jaw tightened, a brief flicker of something in his eyes at her words. His mind flashed back to the mysterious figure that had saved him during his last mission. He still didn't know who it was or why they helped him. He swallowed his thoughts and kept walking.
Jemmy revved her bike, her eyes flicking toward him one last time. "Just a word of advice," she said as she sped up ahead of him. "Don't make too many enemies too quickly, dumb head." And with that, she took off, the roar of her engine echoing in the distance.
Melton stopped for a moment, staring after her, his mind now filled with thoughts of his past encounter. Whoever that figure was, they had saved his life and might be back for something in return.
Inside the DWZ, the place was unusually quiet, only a few mercenaries lingering around. The two ladies at the counter leaned over, whispering to each other, their voices low but animated.
"You hear about Razor and his crew?" the first one whispered, leaning closer to her friend.
"Yeah," the second lady replied, her voice hushed with intrigue. "Word is they got taken out last night. Some mysterious figure wiped them out like they were nothing. Not even Razor could put up a fight."
The first one nodded, wide-eyed. "It's like things are getting crazier by the day around here. People disappearing, missions getting deadlier…"
"Tell me about it," the second lady sighed. "You think Melton—"
But before she could finish her sentence, the door swung open, and Melton walked in. The atmosphere immediately shifted. Silence fell over the room as if a sudden chill had swept through. Everyone stopped talking, even the ladies at the counter. The mercenaries who had been hanging around glanced at Melton, their expressions unreadable, before quietly gathering their things and walking out.
On her way out, a lady dressed in a crazy punk outfit looked at Melton, his gaze matching hers unfazed. She looked at him dead in the eye for a while before laughing hysterically and leaning in on him.
"I think I like you" she whispers as she ran her finger down his chest to his pants before spanking his ass and walking out of the DWZ.
Within moments, it was just him and the two ladies at the counter.
Melton paused, trying to understand what had just happened and sensing the tension in the air. His eyes scanned the room, noting how everyone had left so quickly. Something felt off. He looked up at the board and saw that the same jobs from yesterday were still hanging there, untouched. No new postings today. That was odd.
He frowned, speaking to himself in his head, "What the hell is going on? Why is this place dead today?"
"Nexus, anything unusual?" he questioned internally.
"Nothing on my radar," Nexus responded flatly.
Melton tightened his jaw, his doubts increasing. Something was wrong, and he was unhappy with it. Ready to exit the DWZ, he pivoted on his heel until one of the women working the counter shouted to him.
"Hey, Melton!" she shouted, her voice breaking the eerie silence. "Before you head out, we've got a job you might like. Special recommendation based on that last one you did."
He stopped, slowly turning back toward them. "Special recommendation, huh?" He narrowed his eyes, walking toward the counter. "What's the catch?"
The first lady smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "No catch. Just something high-risk, high-reward. Seems like you're the type who can handle that kind of pressure."
Melton crossed his arms, his guard up. "Let's hear it."
The second lady tapped a few keys on her terminal, pulling up the details. "Two billion credits. Nothing like the last job. But this one… it's more personal. No official listing. You'll have to accept it quietly."
"No Official listing?" He asked, focusing his gaze at the lady at the counter.
"A firm brought this in this morning, saying they wanted just you to handle it" the second lady chipped in quickly, breaking the tension between Melton and her partner.
"Now why would a firm pick just me?" Melton asks, slowly walking towards the counter.
"The DWZ is a place ghost clients watch mercenaries, you should've seen it coming" the lady replied, maintaining her gaze with him
"Well Jemmy certainly didn't tell me that" he whispered to himself.
Melton's instincts screamed at him to walk away, but his curiosity wouldn't let him. Something was definitely off, but if they were coming to him with this, it meant they wanted something.
"Fine," Melton said after a beat, his tone cold. "I'll take a look at it. But if you're playing me…" He let the threat hang in the air, his eyes boring into the ladie
s behind the counter.
The first lady smirked, unfazed. "We wouldn't dream of it."