Huh? You want to know about Raz? Keep your voice down, Adam! We’re in the canteen right now!

…oh, right. You’re a new arrival, I forgot. Sorry. Raz hurt a lot of our guys here, so mentioning his name is a good way to set people off. Wait until we’re finished eating, alright? Focus on, uh, how delicious this toast is or something. Hope you like apple jam, because it’s what you’ll get for the next few weeks.

…

Okay, we’re in private now. I’ll brief you in. He’s a fucking scoundrel, pardon my language. Why? Back on Astraea, we were taught that evil flourishes when man’s restraints are let loose. Instead of seeking refuge or helping others, Raz decided it was best to use his new Exile powers to harm and control others. We’ve heard reports how he began attacking nearby people after accustoming to the red for their money, then, upon realising it was useless, their supplies.

Anyway, Raz fancies himself as a warlord. A ruler over a community somewhere within the depths of the Collapsed City. What a joke! All he does is steal, enslave and consume drugs! He’s just a fiend who takes the hard work of others and refuses to give anything back! As if the current lawlessness of the world is an excuse to abuse the hearts and souls of others!

Why yes, I am heated at this! Some of our good friends have been hurt by the men under his command. He’s mutilated limbs, infused them with toxins, even sent their heads back in boxes! There’s a sanatorium somewhere in the city that could have been used to treat the sick, but Raz thought it was better fit as a drug factory! We’ve seen his products as far as Alux.

One time, we raided a hideout of his after he kidnapped some of our people. The state we found them in, particularly the women…

…I apologize, Adam. If I think about this anymore, Brigid will have to wash my mouth out with soap. Goddess forgive me, but even She would have a hard time dealing with Raz’s level of cruelty!

What’s Alux, you ask? It’s another land to the north…wait, we’re getting off topic. I’ll show you a map later.

Why haven’t we killed him already? Well, we mostly certainly want to! But we of Astraea did not arrive in West Junction until over half a year ago. Raz was able to dominate the roads until West Junction was able to surmount a decent enough fighting force. He hasn’t managed to crack us due to how well-defended we are, but neither have we been able to kill him.

Not for a lack of trying, mind you. He’s evaded death twice. Matt almost blew his head off the last time.

…yes, he’s the guy responsible for blowing up the ground beneath Madeline and making her lost.

No! Don’t say that!

What are his Talents like? Something with the power to influence the beasts—vagrants, tumors and the like. It’s the reason why he’s carved out a space in the City. We don’t know exactly where, as he possesses multiple hideouts. Hm? How does he live? By stealing and forcing his slaves to farm crops like we do. It’s horrible.

Did you know someone like him before, Adam?

…

Wait, the police?

Huh? You say the police were corrupt in your world, and their treatment of prisoners was inhumane? That they drank alcohol and inhaled drugs behind closed doors while the common folk were not allowed. And you wouldn’t be surprised if Raz was a former police officer!

Surely, you are joking! I may not know much about your culture, but the police were supposed to treat their prisoners with dignity and justice, yes?

…no? Instead, they were massive hypocrites. And that you wanted to smash their faces in?

That does seem to match what some of the other refugees have said. The hypocrisy part, not the commitment to violence. It’s still a bitter pill to swallow. No, Astraea had little of this corruption! I’m almost scandalized you would say that. Anyone caught would have been dragged straight off to the purification chambers!

Ahem.

Sorry, Adam. We got off topic for real. But yes, the sooner we rid Raz off this plane, the better for everyone. He’s well hidden, so I doubt we’ll have the chance to do that anytime soon…

“…so, you were saying, eh Lucy?” Adam said.

“Um…” Lucy chuckled, “I’m sorry?”

“With the map and the key retrieved from the corpse, we have potential insight into Raz’s actions. Therefore, our next job is to hunt down one of his members and interrogate them as to his whereabouts!” Brigid slammed her palm onto a blackboard of diagrams and plans. The rest of the people in the meeting room murmured their agreements. Some even cheered. It was the raucous joy of a group who drunk on the prospect of revenge.

“Finally…” Saria muttered, a dark smile on her face, “We can finally destroy that bastard.”

Obviously she wants to know more about Madeline. Adam thought. “But how are we going to do this?”

“Glad you asked, Adam.” Brigid said, “How good are you with non-lethal approaches?”

“Horrible.” Adam said, “I hit things and get shit done.”

“But do you kill them?”

“No.”

“Then, you’re hired. Rough up Raz’s men as much as you want, as long as they can still talk.” Brigid said, “We’ll use a bait and switch by preying on their putrid desires. We will then ambush them and capture as many of them possible alive. Restrain them, return here and the interrogation will begin.”

“Also can’t risk a mass wipe.” Matt interjected. “Raz might wise up. We have to get this right on the first try.”

Lucy raised her hand. “I can offer myself as bait.” She said. “I know how to act the simple, frightened girl.”

Saria shook her head. “They’ve seen us. It’d give us away.”

“I suppose. If only Adam’s ability was movement related like mine, then he could act as bait.”

“Well, excuse me.” Adam grumbled.

“Oh, it’s not a bad thing. You’ll get the chance to crush his goons first hand, after all.”

“Lucy, your idea is a good one, but you cannot play it. We’ll get someone else.” Brigid said, “The rest of you will be responsible for the ambush. Defend yourself well, but try to aim for non-lethal takedowns if possible. The mission will commence once the scouts report a frequent sighting. Dismissed!”

The scouting was the easy part. For once, Saria went out alone, alongside an Exile with the Talent to transform into a bird. They reported at sundown about a patrol of Raz’s team near the center of the city, where the old botanical gardens used to be.

“Not much of a garden.” Adam said, “It was overgrown by weeds and filled with garbage.”

“They’re patrolling around the outer edge. Seems like Raz wants to expand.” Saria said.

“How strong are they?”

“Unarmored, wielding clubs and blades, Talents unknown.” Saria rattled off. “There’s about six of them.”

Adam clenched a fist. “Fine, let’s use our Pact to clean them up.”

The next step was to reach the patrol route and immerse themselves into the surroundings. A team of eight set out at sunset, reaching the place via the map Adam drew. It had been one of the first things West Junction had requested of him upon arrival. He claimed to know the city on the back of his palm, so they made him prove it. The end result was a modified subway map full of his notes. Its usage was a resounding success.

They reached the gardens. The heat and lack of water had dried up the grass, then the leftover red had caused the trees to extend to the heavens. Several of the nearby buildings were still intact, so they headed inside and setup. Making noise was not allowed. Neither was eating, as the scent of the food would be detected.

Footsteps. The team ducked down beneath the windows, covering their mouths. The bait was setup. A girl, another colleague of Lucy and Saria, stumbled out of nearby bushes, her face covered in marks and bruises. She panted heavily, almost tripping her own feet as she crossed the concrete path.

Raz’s men were tattooed, inked up and clad in loose clothes. They travelled in single file, stopping upon seeing the bait girl. Their hairstyle and exposed muscles were that of men overcompensating for something. Not that Adam thought there was anything wrong with that—intimidation was a legit tactic. Still, would they have the same confused looks on their faces when they got beaten by him?

“Oh, thank heavens!” The bait girl sobbed, throwing herself at the men’s feet. “An actual person!”

“The hell are you, miss?” The man at the front grunted. His hair was shaped in a mohawk. Extra padding was against his chest and he carried something bulky covered in cloth. Clearly, this one was the leader.

“The monsters…the monsters attacked me! They took my boyfriend, my sweet Charles…” The girl cried, wrapping herself around the man’s leg. He yanked back, throwing her off. “Please, you have to help me! I can’t take another moment longer of this place!”

“Woah, is this another…” Another of the bandits started.

“Sweet, fresh meat!” A third said, leering at the bait girl.

“Hold on.” The leader said, raising a palm. “You’re not one of those damn War Maidens, huh?”

“Whatever could you mean?” The bait girl said, “I ran a convenience store! I don’t know how to throw a punch or fire a gun!”

“Dunno, she sounds enough to me. Ain’t looking very strong.” The second bandit said.

“A pretty one, though. Raz will like her.”

“Who’s Raz? Is he your boss?”

“Yeah! He’s a great boss! You’ll like him, y’know…”

The bait girl nodded her head as if her life depended on it. “Please! Take me to him! I can’t take another minute here!”

She proceeded to hide her face in her hands and bawl. The men looked uncomfortable at the sight of a woman crying that wasn’t due to them.

“…Fine.” The leader said. “A haul is a haul. You come with us, girlie, and no questions until we reach the base!”

“Okay!”

“Then get moving!”

“Is that what you said to Bethany, you spineless scum?”

“What!” The leader whirled around, only to see the bait girl tossing a handful of small objects into the air. She then sprinted away as the red bombs detonated. The bandits howled as the blast overtook them. The rest of the team leapt out of cover and rushed in.

A bandit was struck to the ground as one of Saria’ bullets pierced him. Lucy locked blades with her own foe. Golden light flashed in Adam’s vision as the Pact activated. He charged straight at the leader, landing a blow onto his shoulder. He pulled back for another and his pendant flashed.

Gore. That was it. His head wasn’t visible, a metallic saw sticking out of it…

He leapt back as a chainsaw blade sailed past his neck.

“West Junction!” The bandit leader roared. A red shrouded enveloped him, veins popping out of exposed muscles. The tattoos on his face lit up. Adam looked back at saw the rest of his crew were doing the same. Lucy, Saria and the rest backed off in response. “Fine! We’re gonna grind you all into paste!”

The opening strike had been effective. But for what would come next…it would require their full attention.