"Another way to gain money is through bounty-hunting. Hellfire should know more," said Emma. As they looked for more ways to make money, they wanted to maximize profit for a month or so. Alpha has made the decision to partake in many more games that involve strategy and sniping. Emma has realized that she can partake in a costume contest among the DIamond Games. With Dialings she could score a lot of money even if she were to be the worst contestant.

Franky and Liam were left with nothing. Liam barely knew anything about the normal world and was far too detached from the general populace. With Franky not wanting to leave Liam to fend for his own, he wanted to do something with Liam. Bounty hunting seems like something Franky could partake in as he not fears not death, authority, or getting hurt. As such, the two of them tried contacting their senior.

"I'm not sure whether you two can get into that. I don't think you can stomach such things. There's also the fact that no one will take you seriously. An amnesiac and a rookie who's been around for just three months… You'll just end up getting killed with abilities that simply don't work together well!", he stated. "Also… There has been a cult-like gang of individuals that have been causing trouble. You don't wanna leave town and get yourself involved with them. They've even kidnapped kids in foster care doing whatever to them."

Franky didn't care and insisted that Hellfire tell them what bounty-hunting entails. After a short-lived battle of insults, Aqua came in and intervened as she had enough of their little fights.

"Come on you two! Hellfire, I'm expecting you to be a lot less vulgar. Don't let your image and strength go to waste. It's unfit for seniors like us. Did I make myself clear?", Aqua ranted. "And you, Franky… You should believe in your superior and listen to his advice."

"Advice won't pay for bills! Elena is in a coma! Demons have been running amok and getting stronger! And I don't want your support!", said Franky.

Had she been as strict as she was a few years ago, she would have ordered a duel between the two of them that could have ended in a badly bruised and beaten King that would take a while to recover. Though others among her level of strictness were willing to kill anything that showed disobedience, Aqua simply “set them straight”.

"Fine."

Aqua agreed to let Franky do as he pleases. Her strictness and her belief in duty had faded over time by unknown means. However, now that he's aware of her personality having changed significantly, Franky can ask away.

"Now that I think about it, you should wait here. Hellfire will search for documents showing us what exactly we're dealing with."

Apparently, there are no restrictions as to becoming a Bounty Hunter but there were lots of walls you'd have to climb over to ever get a job. Not only can the ones issuing bounties put up requirements that hinder a rookie from participating but also can they refuse your help. Prior to hunting, one must sign up for the bounty they're going after which may come with a fee.

From there on out, one can partake in bounty hunting. However, generally unspoken rules among Dream Catchers also can hinder ones progress. Everyone has to remain within their own territory. Some allow people crossing into their territory as long as they don't cause trouble. Others demand small fees in several forms of payment ranging from trade to cash. Among those, few demand paying with ones body. Very few show no mercy and kill any intruders. Berlin, Germany's capital, will kill Dream Catchers if they can't pay up. Christa, Germany's strongest Dream Catcher, is notorious for killing several rookies as they usually are careless and don't carry money with them.

There also are two types of bounties: Demon Bounties (DB) and Future Fighter Bounties (FFB). The former exists for tricky Demons that cause a lot of trouble. The latter is for hunting after Dream Catcher's that have gone missing, gone rogue, or cause a lot of trouble. Many of those FFBs boil down to assassinations.

"That's… Maybe Liam should think of some safer way to make money…", claimed Franky.

"No, I can help! Assassinations: Sniping! I can do that, right?"

"I don't want you getting hurt. That's all."

Aqua believed that she had no reason to chime in and tell them what to do. She believed that they should figure it out themself. After a minute of bickering, they just agreed to stay together or at least contact each other whenever something happens.

"There's just one more thing… Currently there's a group of outlaws, Scavengers, going around recruiting people to turn this nation into a lawless one. They're still rather small and weak but have their fair share of strong people that can outmatch you."

Their first target were Scavengers. Five seperate bounties were placed on this group. The lowest paying and least dangerous job was gathering intel. Just a few little clues are enough to receive payment. Still, for something as simple as that, there was a lot more money involved than they had expected. The second bounty was capturing any member of the Scavengers. Bounty No.3 was capturing a high-ranking member of their group. Number four entails infiltrating at least one of their “camps”. The last and highest paying bounty is defeating the Scavengers and capturing the leader alive.

"We should start with the lowest paying one, right? I don't see us defeating the Scavengers…"

"I definitely can capture at least one of them even if it means spilling blood," claimed Franky.

Liam was unsure whether or not he still wanted to search with Franky but had no choice as he wouldn't be allowed to do so without him.

"Then how do we start? Hellfire has told us that they seem to have a simple hierarchy: Scavenger at the top, Planes directly under Scavenger, and Resins, the average members that are rather weak. Apparently they've been kidnapping people of all ages that are rather frail. No one knows why and somehow no one could catch them. I really doubt we can find any clues about them…"

The two of them were wondering what exactly it was that they were trying to do with these people. The two of them decided to ask Hyperion for aid. With his superior eyesight he could lie on top of a building and barely make out their silhouettes. Several kilometers away, he could provide intel and communicate with the two of them. At midnight they'll start this little operation of theirs.

"Seen anything yet?", asked Franky over the phone. Rather impatient, he kept asking.

"Nope. I would have told you if I had seen anything but I guess you don't listen."

A couple minutes pass.

"And now?"

"Still nothing."

Liam idly stood by trying to not irritate their informant but also wanted to tell Franky that he should stop asking. He didn't know how to get that across therefore remaining quiet.

"What about-"

Alpha hung up.

Franky lied down on top of the roof they were standing on. Liam quietly snickered a couple meters away from Franky trying to contain his laughter.

Another hour passes and Liam seems to have fallen asleep. Franky still was on the lookout awaiting a call from Alpha. An awfully clear sky with a waxing moon… The stars barely were visible but a few of them stood out remaining as beautiful as ever. He had the sudden urge to go stargazing with everyone else or maybe spend a night out with Alpha and the others.

Franky whispered to himself, "There's no way we can do that. We're constantly busy and need rest. We need to stay vigilant and make sure that the four of… the five of us can be safe. The world is spiralling out of control and grows more discriminatory every day. I can't afford slacking off."

"Are you sure?"

A strange child had somehow approached him from behind and now directly stands behind him and Liam.

There was one member of the Scavengers. Baggy green jogging pants, a white tank top, black messy hair, body of a 10 year-old child… This child had nonchalantly approached him unaware of what Franky had been planning. Curiously observing Franky, he tugged at that tanktop of his out of nervousity.

Franky took his phone and called Alpha as he gestured the kid to be quiet. He lied, "I haven't found anything. Let's call it a day, okay?"

He hung up.

Grabbing the kid by is armpits, Franky jumped onto the streets. Right after that he woke up Liam and told him to go back home as this was enough searching for today. Betraying his friend's trust, he felt like it was his obligation to do… something.

The kid hid as Liam hopped back home. Franky finally could dedicate his time to the young stranger.

"Name's King. And yours?"

"Altair…", he stammered. "I heard you being all melancholic so I was wondering whether or not you wanted to join the Scavengers."

"I'm hunting after them…"

Altair panicked as King held onto his arm trying to get away. After struggling for a solid minute, he failed to set himself free and gave up. Trying to hold in tears Franky wondered just how weak the Scavengers could be.

"I'm sorry. I don't intend to hurt you and I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanna know more about you and your group… I wanna know where they kidnap-"

"They didn't kidnap me!", yelled Altair. "They helped me and now I'm free!"

Thinking of Alpha, Franky asked, "Free? Were your family members abusive?"

Him and Alpha had an altercation after Alpha had spontaneously decided to run away from home and move into Elena's apartment without her consent. Back then he talked about some form of freedom he couldn't enjoy before. It was rather easy to peace together why he considers this a form of freedom.

"How'd you know?", asked Altair rather shocked.

"How about we talk somewhere a lot more private, okay?"

Deciding to sneek back into his room, Franky invited Altair into his house. Loriel and Nyx had moved out just a couple hours ago as their journey had to continue meaning that there was an extra room where Altair could stay in for now. The issue lied in telling Ben that another stranger would stay with the two of them for an unknown amount of time.

Letting Altair sleep for as long as he wanted, Franky wondered what exactly was going on.

Ben came back as Franky paced around the living room thinking about ways to tell him about their guest. Obviously a little stressed out, Ben knew something was up.

"What did you do this time?", asked Ben

"We have another guest… I guess?"

Ben just took off his sandals and went to the kitchen trying to unpack everything he had bought. Shortly after that he prepared a meal.

"How many and how old?"

"Just one… He's ten."

Altair came running down the stairs shirtless and only wearing boxer shorts but retreated as soon as he saw Ben. Seeing an adult took him by surprise and made him rather afraid. He didn't know what to expect and therefore hid upstairs.

Franky followed and dragged him back down reassuring him that everything is fine.

"This is Altair. It seems he's a little shy around adults."

Ben knelt down trying to be on the same level as his guest. He reassured, "Everything's fine, okay? You don't have to be afraid of me, okay?"

Altair nodded while hiding behind Franky. Awfully clingy to Franky… Franky wondered what exactly he did to get that much trust from a person he didn't know. Believing that his life must have been rough as the average child doesn't cling to the first person that shows any form of kindness, Franky led him upstairs telling Altair to take a shower.

Meanwhile, Franky went shopping for clothes that fit Altair. Taking a quick jog towards the nearest shop, he randomly went for all kinds of clothing articles. Rushing back home, he spotted Prometheia. It was a sign that there was an urgent call he had missed thanks to leaving his phone at home. She had come to fetch for him but allowed him some time to get back home with those four bags of his.

Altair teared up as he ate pancakes. Trying to hold it all in, he wanted to apologize to the two of them. There was a massive load on his back that he needed to get rid of and let go of it all at once.

"I didn't really get to eat warm meals because I wasn't smart enough. My parents didn't want me simply because I wasn't as smart as my sister! I left and joined the Scavengers because I can't stand being alone and now I'm indebted to them while also endangering Benny!"

Franky was worried but understanding. Being neglected was something he was familiar with. However, he had to leave as he had an important meeting to attend to.

"I'm sorry but tell me more about it later. I'll help out Benny and listen to your story. I promise!"