Just as the explosive gunshots from the silver car started up, a heavy hand clutched Damien’s arm and yanked him over the table and on to the ground. The gunfire brought with it the sounds of windows shattering and people screaming as the Flying Saucer suddenly turned into a battlefield.

Bullets pummeled the slabs of futuristic panels that they’d taken cover behind. “What the hell is going on,” Damien blurted out loud. Their day had barely started and they were already getting shot at. He gripped his katana and mentally prepared for combat.

Beside him, Marcus had already equipped his shotgun in one hand, and he bent the remaining arm at the elbow, and placed it in front of his face like a mask, leaving only a small opening for him to see through. The hefty pirate poked his head up over the railing and fired back at the silver car. Almost instantly, sparks lit up across the bent forearm as the enemy bullets bounced off the makeshift metal mask.

Damien’s mind raced as he pondered what to do. In the corner of his vision he could see that his Focus bar was full— it had replenished after waking up. He quickly decided that his best option was to use Parry to deflect the bullets for Marcus so that he could take them out.

With his mind made up, Damien jumped up with sword in hand, ready for action. There was only one gun aimed at them now, and a blast from the shotgun beside him took out the lone remaining gun wielder. The silver car abruptly took off, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.

Marcus yelled out some profanities and flipped the finger at them as they drove off.

In almost an instant, the atmosphere had changed from a thunderous gun fight to a strange and eerie silence. The other patrons were still lying on the ground, and a worker came out from the indoor dining area to inspect the damage.

“Let’s get out of here, Dame,” Marcus said in a cold voice. “Before the cops show up.”

Damien agreed and they took off in the direction they’d come from. He waited until they made it around the first corner before asking for some clarification. “What was that? And who the hell were those guys?”

“They were Royals.”

“Royals?” It took a few seconds for Damien to remember where he’d heard that name before. They were one of the gangs Marcus had mentioned previously when he got a quick rundown of the city. Strangely enough, they were the only gang that he didn’t give any information about, apart from a warning to stay away from them. “They’re a west side gang, right? What are they doing out here in the city center?”

Marcus shrugged. “The city underworld is in a strange spot right now and tensions are running high. They’re just one of the many gangs trying to expand in every direction.”

“And do they normally ambush people in broad daylight like that?”

Marcus shook his head. “No, they were after me. I’m sorry I put you in harm’s way. I got beef with them, so I try to mess with them as much as I can. Now they want me dead, and I want them all of them dead. Those guys were probably some low level members hoping to get some rep with their boss for taking me out.”

The whole gang wants him dead? Damien thought to himself with a mixture of surprise and respect. Is it such a good idea to mess with them?

Then again, Damien could see the appeal of taking on an entire gang. He’d noticed a certain rush swell up within him during those desperate moments of combat. Somewhere deep within, an intoxicating thrill pulled at him from the realization that others were actively trying to kill him. In some kind of twisted way, those moments made him feel strangely alive.

Another question popped up in Damien’s mind, and even though he was certain he knew the answer, he decided to ask anyway.

“What about the cops? I’m guessing you don’t get them involved because there’s no point.”

“You guessed right,” Marcus said as he waited for a car to pass before gesturing to follow him across the road. “Cops won’t do a damn thing. Most of them are in cahoots with the gangs, though their relationships are far from perfect. They’re just mutual parasites from what I can tell, leeching off one another and waiting for the perfect opportunity to plant their knife in the other’s back.”

Damien let out a thoughtful grunt. It seemed like every time he talked to Marcus, he gained a better understanding of just how corrupt Neopolis was. Perhaps this was why both Marcus and Kat seemed to have a certain independent spirit; one forged out of a necessity to handle things yourself. Maybe that’s the kind of spirit he’d need to adopt.

“The bottom line is, everyone in this city’s a sinner.” Marcus said with an almost disgusted tone. “Some are worse than others, but everyone does what they feel they need to do at the end of the day. And when you’re at the bottom, you can’t play fair; the deck’s too stacked against you. The gap between the haves and the have nots grows further by the day, and you can’t decrease that gap without getting your hands dirty. That’s just the reality of the situation.”

Marcus stopped in his tracks and his eyes flashed with a blue pulse. “Hold on, I’m getting a call.”

Damien waited patiently as his partner answered the call, responding every few seconds with one word replies. He only now noticed the toll that the ambush had taken on Marcus’ arm. The elbow didn’t seem to bend all the way down, and the wrist stood in a limp, unnatural position. Maybe it’s because it had been damaged before— it was the same arm he’d been tinkering with the first time they met at the bar.

“Alright,” Marcus said out loud, “I’ll let them know.” The blue pulse disappeared from his eyes, and he turned to face Damien. “That was Zero. She said she wants to meet with us.”

“Just you and Kat, or does that include me?”

“She specifically requested that you come along. She said she has something for you.”

New Quest! Talk to Zero