The sweet mesmerizing aroma of chicken gizzards glazed with molasses made my mouth water instantly, forcing me to make my way to any available seat.

I scanned the room, brushing past tables to my left and right, catching a glimpse of fried green onions sprinkled on top of a platter of glazed chicken gizzards.

Delightful, I said to myself, as my stomach growled insistently, drawing laughs. I smiled, feeling welcomed and giving everyone that eyed me a curt nod.

“JULIA!” a booming voice said, from across the bar. “TWO SERVINGS FOR THAT MAN.” He shouted, voice reverberating like a speaker whilst he pointed at me. I couldn’t see his face, but I imagined a jovial expression flashed across it. That’s how the regulars were here. Happy.

“AYE!” I shouted back. “…and two pitchers of beers for him, on me!” A loud celebratory cheer rose from the bar, followed by the pounding sound of wood. “GOOD TO HAVE YA BACK CYPHER.”

“Aye Aye,” I said raising my hands to appreciate the gesture.

I couldn’t tell from the loud cheer, but I could feel Rex chuckling from behind me, whilst I made my small and squeezed through a sea of chairs of comfortable people, apologising profusely…because Rex wasn’t a small man.

Eventually, I found a seat, in the far left corner of the room. It was the only table free, and the one best suited for me. The translucent window to my right, allowed the multiple banners of the neighbouring stores to flood in, giving a little colour to the red-bricked room.

I pulled a varnished chair from beneath the Holotable, I hugged my back against the wall, keeping my eyes on the door making myself comfortable.

The Holotable showcased highlights from the previous 20/20 Cricket Tournament, a tournament in which the Tallwahs won. I lost 50K on the finals, so I swiped the highlights away, watching as Rex pulled up opposite of me, snivelling a knowing grin.

Rex slammed his hand on the Holotable, warping the screen for a second. It was finally readjusted and Rex finally spoke. “Remind me never to trust your intuitions on cricket, you made me shell out 20K on the Tridents, only for them to lose…pathetically.”

“First of all Rex…I didn’t make your bet on shit. You came to me, asking my opinion on WHO I think would win the game. I outlined why and explained in fine detail why the Tridents should win…”

“…and they lost.”

“…you lose and win in life, that goes for matches as well…it’s who plays on the day…that wins.”

“Mighty philosophical answer. Praetor.”

“Need I remind you, I saved your ass from BLED when the riots took place?”

“Whoa whoa…” Rex said, raising his hands in defence. “No need to say that out loud in public.”

Eyes from the restaurant drew on me immediately after I mentioned the riots. It was a recent soar memory for every. Over 40% of Welkey’s Industrial District was destroyed, but that wasn’t the bad part over, ten thousand people lost their lives that day…and Rex was involved.

Not with the shooting, of course, the bastard helped out the rioters by breaking down the security codes of the Industrial District for the rebels. When he told me this, I truly couldn’t believe, what did he get himself into.

Luckily…I was able to get him out and get paid heavily for it too. The fool.

I turned to the patrons, giving a gent smile, feeling as my SMB clutch my brain, itching me to move my cybernetic arm. I did so in response, tapping my fingers across the Holotable surface, hearing it clank from each tap.

“Stop betting on the losing horse Rex, try the Tallawahs this season,” I said, swerving the conversation in a different route. I watched as the eyes, went back to their food and Rex bit his bottom lip in frustration.

I turned my head to the left, hoping the pensive stares would've stopped, but only a few had stopped eyeing us. I gave them all a smile and gentle nod, they finally gave us the privacy we sought.

“How’s your man doing?” Rex asked, typing his order into the Holotable.

“Huh…man? What are you talking about?“ I asked, confused by the question.

“Jix…a…fon,” Rex answered, slowly.

“Oh…” I said, realising who he meant. “His recovery is slow, but I’m hearing good things.”

“Were they able to save his leg?”

“Nah…it’s completely gone, had to be replaced.”

“Cybernetic or Cloned?”

“Cybernetic.”

“Ouch…Then, his physiotherapy is should start soon, yes?”

“Not exactly. Right now, They're trying to graft the second layer of cloned flesh to his face. Once his body doesn’t reject it, all should be fine for a few weeks.”

“I see…” Rex said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. “…and how do you feel about all of this?”

“…like shit.”

“I would too,” Rex added. “Has he woken from the artificial coma as yet?”

“Not yet…”

“…When last did you two speak?”

“Right before he went under,” I answered

“I see…”

Rex bellowed a loud sshh and sucked his teeth. I watched as he shook his head. Rex’s eyes weren’t usually dazed, but now they were. I felt the remorse of his gaze wash over me, making me feel as though I’d done something wrong.

I didn’t…but I put my friend in danger. He almost died because of me. Hell. The man had a family and I put him in harm's way…what a fool I was.

After ten minutes of self-pitying and wallowing. The Holotable finally flashed, showing Rex that his order was ready. A waitress came to our table five minutes later with our orders and my stomach growled like a jackhammer upon catching a whiff of the molasses glazed chicken gizzards.

The waitress placed the gizzards in front of me, and the other set in front of Rex, along with his palette of fries. The fries even had parsley sprinkled on top of them. He could’ve ordered two I mused for a second, but let it go quickly.

“I’ll take two sets of fries and wings to go,” I told the waitress. “That’s a 20-minute wait.” She told me.

“Not a problem, that’s enough time for me to ditch this bastard,” I said with a smile.

The waitress smiled, turned around and went to clean up other tables. I grabbed a gizzard, dipped it in molasses and slid it down my throat, feeling as the sweet molasses taste caramelised itself across my tongue as I began chewing the gizzard.

“What's the deal Cypher…you’ve been smiling a whole lot…is this your way of giving me bad news?” Rex asked. I almost pound my chest, guzzling down some water, ensuring the gizzard didn’t go down the wrong pipe. “Nothing of the sort Rex…” I told Rex.

“It’s…creepy, you smiled at everyone here…what's the deal man?” he asked again.

“Nothings wrong…just happy Jix is fine and all is well.”

“Really?”

“You've been pissant angry for a month after losing you that EXiCON gig. You ranted about having to take up PMC work again…work you despise.”

“Despised, because with my rap sheet I’ll be sent to The Waste and I hate it there.”

“I see…The Waste doesn’t need Weavers!” He said with a smile.

“Aren’t you supposed to be laying low?” I snapped.

“I am…”

“…but I need credits.”

“I need credits too.”

I shook my head, knowing full well what thoughts crossed Rex’s mind, and watched as he downed two gizzards down his throat smiling and licking the molasses from the side of his lips.

“You found anything?” I finally asked, hoping to hear some good news.

“No. Surveillance footage hasn’t picked him up since.”

“Boom Town?”

“Yeah…shit, asking for information there is riskier than roaming. That means he’s gone under.”

“Seems that way…” Rex answered. “Does the rat-bastard have any known associates that he’d reach out to?”

"No...Zade gave me his personal record, which BY THE WAY was completely VOID. The only shit there was a damn name, which wasn't his, a date of birth and the hospital he was born!"

“He never held a job?”

“Nothing of the sort…”

“That means he’s been working for either the Silent Dragons or the Yardies”

“Maybe…look into any schism within the past two years on either them for me he might have an associated with one of them.”

“I’ll check it out…did you ever find out if Eclain was associated with him?”

“No…nothing, then what about the EXiCONS that died being associated with him?”

I felt my lips draw into a smile, then the memory of the cost of the information hit me like a bag of sour grapes, and my mood matched its acidity perfectly. “That bastard Zade charged a 100K for that information!” I hissed.

“100K?… I swore you two were close from that vending machine case you worked.”

“We’re as close as my asshole is to my mouth…far departed. The man’s a cop, I used him and he used me. We have no relation other than that.”

“…good riddance, never liked the bastard…” Rex said.

“No…you just didn’t like that he was a cop.”

“True.” Rex laughed.

The waitress returned with my order in hand, placing it on the table. “I gotta go, Rex,” I said after chatting with him for a few more minutes. “Whatever Cypher.” He said, waving to me. I pushed myself free from the table, tapping as I left. “We’ll talk,” I said, leaving him to his machinations.

I had somewhere to be, and people to love.