“What do you take me for? Think I don’t know a set up when I see one?” The hunchbacked man stared at Damien and Marcus, his wild eyes looking not at them, but through them.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Marcus said. “We’re just here for the Blizzard. That’s all.”

“Bullshit!” The strange man pulled out a small inhaler-shaped item from his pocket then straightened his curved back, turning his face toward the ceiling. With one hand forcing his eye lid open, he sprayed a clear liquid from the inhaler into his eyeball. A shudder ran down his body, and he started shaking violently, his breathing quickly becoming heavy.

Damien turned toward his partner, who’s face was now twisted in mixture of confusion and worry. He didn’t understand much of what was going on, but he knew one thing: this person was extremely unstable.

After a few seconds, the convulsions stopped, and the man’s body slouched back down to its previous, crooked posture, his eyes looking like they were about to pop out of his head. “You think we don’t know that XO’s working with the NPD? That her little message to Grand Wiz was bait designed to lure him out? That this whole meeting is a set up to frame us for the loot we raided? Think I’m stupid? Huh!?” He gestured toward his goons who had positioned themselves behind the couch that Damien and Marcus were sitting on. “Tell me. Am I fucking stupid!?”

A few of them grunted a response that assured him he was normal. From their tame and muted behavior, Damien surmised that the goons were sober, and the leader was the only crazy one.

“Damn right.” The leader started pacing back and forth with a jittery stride, his eyes fixed on the ground and his mind seemingly in another world. “Damn her. Why the fuck did she agree to this?”

Is this guy having a bad trip? Damien pondered. Maybe taking the chip by force was the better option…

“Look, man,” Marcus said as he slowly stood up. “It’s like I said, we’re just here for the-”

“Shut the fuck up!” The unhinged man raised his foot and drove it clean through the wooden table, breaking it in half. “Sit your ass down and keep your eyes to yourself. You’re looking at me all fucky.” He pointed to one of his goons. “Gun to his head. Now. If he makes another sound, blow his brains out.”

A hand grabbed Marcus’ shoulder from behind and guided him back down to a seated position on the couch. Another hand put a gun barrel to the back of his head. So much for him talking his way out of a shitty situation.

It seemed like even Marcus didn’t know how to navigate this bizarre position that they’d suddenly found themselves in. Would they have to fight their way out? If they resorted to combat, they’d certainly take significant damage, being surrounded and on the defensive.

An agitated finger pointed at Damien. “You. Stand up. Now.”

Damien followed the order and kept his hand loosely at his side, just in case he had to grab for his weapon. He was starting to wish that he’d ignored the etiquette of street politics and worn his new combat armor. But really, would it make a difference in this situation? What was supposed to be a simple transaction had gone off the rails and his partner was pinned down. One wrong move and Marcus would be blasted, and he’d be next. Best to play along with this deranged pirate, at least for now.

The hunchback jerked his body forward, punching the air triumphantly. “Fuck yeah! I got these NPD rats following my command.”

What the hell was he talking about? At this point, the only thing on Damien’s mind was finding a way to keep the pirate leader from losing it, and getting himself and his crew member out of here alive. He’d be walking a thin line, and one wrong word or suggestion could push this person over the edge.

“We’re not with the NPD,” Damien said cautiously. “We’re pirates just like you, and XO hired us to get the Blizzard for her. That’s all. You got the chip, and we got the funds. Swap and we’ll both be on our way.”

A slow, heavy chuckle filled the lobby and the leader started pacing back and forth again. “NPD rats. Always trying to save their own asses.”

“If we were NPD, this place would be swarmed with officers by now. We’re only working with XO, and she just wants the chip.”

The man kept his gaze to the ground and he started nodding along. “True. True. But if that’s the case, we can just kill you right here. If you’re just pirates like you claim, then XO won’t care what happens to you. She can brush it off as a case of a deal gone wrong. That kinda shit happens all the time.”

Damien gritted his teeth. He knew that his back was to the wall and he had to try a different approach. But what could he do? It’s not like he had any cards to play. Grab his katana and try to kill them first? No, he’d be putting Marcus in danger.

Then, an idea suddenly popped up in his head. He remembered what he’d been talking about with Marcus just a few minutes before, and he was sure he’d found a lifeline. A new, risky card based on the little information that he had.

“You’re right, XO won’t care if you kill us,” he said. “But there is someone who will. Razor.”

The man froze in place and his face dropped. It was as if he’d sobered up in an instant. “What the fuck are you talking about? You two aren’t King Slayers.”

The card could work. Damien just had to run with it. “We’re not. But Razor’s the one who wants the chip, and he hired XO to find it for him. She’s not one to come out on the field, so she hired us to pick it up for her. If Razor finds out that you’re the reason he didn’t get his chip, you’ll wish that we were actually NPD. They don’t call him the Grim Reaper for nothing.”

“Hold on,” a female voice called out from behind.

Damien turned to see a hooded woman walking towards him from a shadowy corner of the lobby. She hadn’t been there when they first entered, so when did she get there? And how long had she been listening in?

“You’re late, sis,” the hunchbacked man blurted out. “I thought they nabbed you.”

The woman let out a disappointed sigh. “You broke rule four again, didn’t you? Damn idiot.” She turned to Damien. “So Razor’s the one who wants the chip? Tell me, what does he plan to do with it?”

Damien shrugged. “Fuck if we know. We’re pirates just like you, and we’re just following orders.”

“He’s lying, sis,” the hunchbacked man blurted out. “Razor’s coming for us, too.”

“Shut up for a minute,” the woman said casually. “You and your dumb conspiracy theories.”

“But you’re the one who-”

“I said shut up!” She turned toward Damien. “Ignore my idiot brother. He was already paranoid about Razor coming for our heads, but he’s been extra antsy after those last few raids we did.”

Damien was both relieved and impressed with this woman. She was the exact opposite of her brother, calm and poised. “No offense, but if Razor wanted you dead, he’d already have your heads.” The small amount of information he had about the King Slayer was coming in handy.

She let out a soft laugh. “You’re right. Still, I find it hard to believe that Razor would get outside help.” Her eyes suddenly sharpened, as if trying to read him, looking for any cracks.

Damien stayed resolute. He wasn’t about to fall apart on the final step. “Like I said, we’re just pirates working for XO. How they partnered together or what they’re up to doesn’t concern us.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, instead letting her sharp gaze wash over Damien in silence. There was something behind her confident and assured eyes, something methodical. She was planning something. Damien could sense it. Her demeanor was entirely different from that of her brother’s, but it was scary in its own way.

“Alright,” she finally said, “We’ll sell you the chip. We don’t want any problems, after all.”

“What?” The brother blurted out. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I said shut up. And stop using you idiot, you’re making us look bad.”

“But you said-”

“Shut it.” The hooded woman flicked her hand toward the goons. “Put the guns away. Chip’s theirs if they want it.” She pulled out a small case the size of her palm and handed it to Damien.

He opened it up and found a blue, square-shaped chip inside, and a scan revealed that it was indeed the Blizzard that they’d been looking for. He gave a nod of confirmation to his partner, who promptly stood up and gave something of his own to her. “Funds are in this. Same price you asked for in the posting.”

“Great. Pleasure doing business with you.”

Marcus scoffed and he turned toward the exit.

“Oh, one last thing,” the woman said with a slight smile on her face. “Tell Razor I’m sorry for the mix up. It won’t happen again.”

“Whatever, assholes.” With a look of anger on his face, Marcus headed for the doors and Damien followed right behind. When they exited the lobby, a notification popped up before Damien.

Quest Complete!

You have completed the quest: Secure the [Blizzard]!

Level Up!

You have reached Level 5!

New Skill Unlocked: Tempest Flurry

New Talent Unlocked: Back Stab