Kat emerged from the takeout restaurant across the street, her figure obscured by the heavy rain downpour that had developed over the last twenty minutes. Damien watched as she shuffled across the road before opening the door and sliding into the driver’s seat beside him. Droplets fell from her now-soaked hair and she let out a slight shiver. “Sorry that took so long. I had to wait until the place cleared out a bit.”

“It’s fine,” Damien said, “but can you at least telling me what all these runs are for?”

“Nope,” Kat said as she rolled her seatbelt down and clicked it into place. “It doesn’t concern you so you don’t need to know.” She started the car and slowly accelerated to get it back on to the road.

Damien let out a groan, miffed at the fact that he was being left in the dark once again. He’d spent the last few hours tagging along with her as she drove around the city on these runs. He didn’t know what exactly she was doing, but every run was the same; she’d stop at some building and go inside for fifteen or twenty minutes before coming back out. Each time, she’d insist that he wait in the car.

But in the end, he couldn’t really complain. She was the reason he’d been able to escape the Rascals’ territory after getting caught. And luckily for the both of them, Damien had disarmed the duo at the entrance and they managed to speed off before anyone could give chase.

“Did that Valerie chick pay you yet?” Kat said as she steered through the city roads.

Damien shook his head. “I had to leave the wire inside the terminal while the hack was still in progress, so we don’t know if it actually went through yet. She told me she needs to check all the contents of her stuff first.”

“And she won’t pay you till then? That sucks.”

“Yeah,” Damien said. “But I guess it makes sense. Do you think she’d lie about the hack not finishing just to avoid paying me?”

Kat shrugged. “It’s possible but I doubt it. If she wants to shaft you, she wouldn’t do it over something so small. Plus she has to consider Zero’s reputation, since he’s the one that recommended her. Although he’s the one who has the power in all this, he still wants to keep a decent relationship between us. Trying to save what’s probably a trivial amount of funds to them isn’t worth it.”

I never considered that, Damien thought as he watched the raindrops race towards the edge of the windshield. I guess I gotta start thinking about the relationships between everyone involved in all this.

“Well,” Kat said, “since you have nowhere to go and we’re already nearby, I guess you can stay with me for the night. If you don’t mind sleeping on the couch, that is.”

“Not at all,” Damien said, though in the back of his mind he wished that her last sentence hadn’t come out.

They continued driving through the urban streets for another fifteen minutes before they reached Kat’s condo on the eastern end of the city center. It was a colossal structure and the front face was lined with a uniform series of windows and balconies. She mentioned that this building was referred to as a megacomplex, and that there were many more scattered all around the city.

The parking lot at the base of the structure was similar to the one that Damien had infiltrated just a few hours ago, even having its own U.T.S. terminal near the entrance. After parking in her designated spot, Kat led him into the elevator capsule and up to the thirtieth floor where her apartment was located.

It was a modest suite, hosting not much more than the bare essentials. In the center was a cozy living room surrounded by a cramped kitchen to the right, and a small corridor with two doors to the left. A glass sliding door on the other side of the living room table led to a small balcony, and the city lights peered in through the glass.

“I’m gonna get changed real quick,” Kat said as she walked toward one of the doors in the corridor. “Make yourself at home. Kitchen’s all yours, too.”

Thirsty from all the sitting he’d done, Damien took her up on the offer and grabbed a cold, canned drink from the refrigerator before sliding open the glass door to step out to the balcony.

The downpour of rain had slowed down considerably, but it was still enough to wash out the colors of the concrete maze before him. He took a few sips as he admired the view, the cold can and the misty night-time air sending a mild and pleasant chill through his body.

Kat joined him on the balcony a minute later, wearing a small towel on her head and a gray tanktop that revealed a slim yet fit figure. She brushed the towel over her hair a few times before launching it back into the living room. “Not a bad view, huh?”

Damien nodded in agreement. She then pulled out what appeared to be a pack of blue cigarettes from her pocket and offered him one. “Don’t worry,” she said, “it’s just flavored smoke; more of a vaporous snack than anything else. It doesn’t have the same hit as cigarettes, but it also doesn’t kill you. Helps me to fight the cravings after quitting a while back.”

Intrigued by the description, Damien accepted the offer and Kat brought her lighter to the other end. Once she lit it, he inhaled, and a fruity-tasting smoke filled his mouth before dissolving almost immediately. It was an odd sensation, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Kat lit her own blue cigarette then leaned forward on the railing, her eyes gazing over the neon forest ahead. After yet another chaotic day, the gentle sounds of rainfall and the strangely picturesque view quickly filled Damien with an odd sense of tranquility. This was the kind of calm ambiance that he didn’t think he could ever achieve with the more talkative and rowdy Marcus.

The thought of the square-headed pirate reminded him of something he’d been meaning to ask his new crew mate.

“Hey, Kat,” Damien said. “Can I ask you why Marcus has so many problems with the Royals? Seems kinda crazy to single-handedly go against one of the biggest gangs in the city.”

Kat scratched her forehead, her bored expression slowly getting softer before she finally spoke. “It’s because they killed his younger brother.”

“Oh… So he’s doing it for revenge?”

“I guess you could say that, but it’s not that simple. The Royals were a mid-sized gang before it happened, and they still followed the street code back then. His brother had overstepped into their territory, and the proper response would’ve been to rough him up a bit. Right before that happened, their current boss instigated a coup, killing the previous leader and taking over the gang. This new guy wanted to demonstrate that the gang would change under his rule; that they’d retaliate with ruthless force over every transgression. He used Marcus’ brother, along with a few others as an example.” She took a drag of her blue cigarette. “To be honest, murder isn’t the right word for what they did. More like a public execution. It was… barbaric.”

Damien remained silent, unsure how to respond to what he’d just heard.

“That stunt worked to increase the fear people have for the Royals, but it also lowered their respect in some ways,” Kat said. “They demonstrated that they don’t care about the street code, and that kind of thing doesn’t sit right with a lot of people. Most won’t dare to go against them anyway, but I’ve heard the Skulls are challenging them directly on their turf.”

“I see…” Damien said. “All of that explains why he lashed out at Lieutenant Zhurkov earlier today.”

“You guys ran into that asshole?” Kat said with a raised eyebrow.

Damien nodded. “The two of them seemed to have some history.”

She took another deep drag on the blue stick. “That’s because they do. Zhurkov was in charge of the west side when all of that went down. They say he was working with the current leader to help influence the coup. That’s why the investigation for the killings never went anywhere, which is odd cause everyone on the streets knows who did it. Not to mention, even the NPD will get involved when gangs get a little too wild like that. Some say Zhurkov personally knew and approved of all the shit the new leader did, and that he’s in bed with them even now.”

“Wow…” Damien said in a disbelieving tone. “I knew he was an asshole, but that’s just evil.”

“Yep. This city’s filled with people like him.” Kat flicked the blue stick over the balcony and stretched out her arms and back. “Well, I’m exhausted after running around all day. Like I said earlier, the couch in the living room’s yours. I keep my pistols under my pillow so don’t try anything funny.”

Damien scrunched his face at her, hoping to lighten the mood a little. “Yeah, well I keep my sword in my pants, so you don’t try anything funny.”

The lame joke got a tired smirk out of Kat. “Whatever, just make sure you get your rest. I’m cashing in that favor you owe me tomorrow.”

“Already? What’re you gonna have me do?”

“This one will be straight forward.” Kat said. “You’re gonna be my boyfriend for the day.”