Kassius turns back and sees Marcus, he turns back immediately to the board.
Kassius (in head): "Why?!"
Marcus: "Honestly, given what I saw on the news, I thought you'd be dead by now."
Kassius turns to Marcus.
Kassius: "I guess I'm just lucky."
Marcus: "Where's the lunatic?"
Kassius: "I don't know. Sarah is usually with you."
Marcus: "Very funny."
Kassius: "OK stop for a second. How are you even here?"
Marcus: "Oh, that's right. You weren't there. Well, Furantur was closed so Remus connected us to Tempora."
Kassius: "I see."
Marcus: "But only the people there were given the opportunity. So how did you get here?"
Kassius: "I had my own means."
Sarah: "Marcus, we're leaving!"
Sarah walks over to Marcus with a few other people.
Sarah: "No way! He's actually alive? Haha!"
Kassius: "Who are those people?"
Marcus: "Men of Gallow Brinks' group, which were assigned to us as division leaders."
Kassius: "Gallon who?"
Sarah: "You don't know Gallow Brinks? I'm not surprised."
Marcus: "Either way, soon, all you'll be hearing about is the Brinks Company. If you eventually want to be my underling, I can put in a word for you."
Kassius: "Yeah, yeah..."
The group start walking away.
Sarah: "Tell the monkey I said hi."
Kassius stands there, and exhales sharply.
Kassius (in head): "Finally."
As Kassius turns back to the board, he bumps into someone, knocking papers out of his hand.
Kassius: "I'm sorry."
Kassius picks up the papers.
Person: "Nah, it's calm."
Kassius: "It's what?"
Person: "Oh, like it's alright. All good, you know?"
Kassius: "Ahh. OK."
Kassius glances at one of the papers.
Kassius (in head): "Bridgeway 11?"
Person: "What's your name?"
Kassius: "Kassius. And you?"
Person: "Hassan."
Hassan is a 6"1 male, brown skin and eyes, wearing a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. He is also wearing a bag.
Hassan: "Wait, you're the guy on the papers, yeah? The one with those bandits."
Kassius: "Probably."
Hassan: "You're a bit more approachable than most yellows, you know."
Kassius: "Yellows?"
Hassan: "Yeah. Like, yellow notice."
Kassius: "I'm on yellow notice?"
Hassan: "Are you new here?"
Kassius: "Yep."
Hassan: "Calm. You've seen around yet?"
Kassius: "I think so."
Hassan: "Yeah, honestly there isn't much to do in here besides picking jobs to do. Which these are. Let's go sit down."
In the infirmary, Arnold lies there as Bonnie wakes up.
Bonnie: "Did I oversleep?"
Arnold: "No, you're fine."
Arnold walks up to her and hands her the newspaper. A smile shines through Bonnie's face. Back in the community hall, Kassius and Hassan walk back to the corner and see Ayana, Feela and Kaizen.
Kaizen: "Yo, Kassius. Who's the friend?"
Ayana: "Hassan?"
Hassan: "Ayana?! No way. It's been a minute. Wait, hold on. Feela?! It's been even longer. Honestly, I thought... you know... but it's good to see you."
Feela: "You too. How have you been?"
Hassan: "Same old. Take a job, make some money. You know how it goes."
Kassius: "You guys know each other?"
Hassan: "Yeah, I met them when they first got here. Kind of similar to how I met you actually."
Hassan sits on the ground and lies on the wall. Kassius sits ahead of him. Hassan starts looking through the papers.
Kassius: "So what jobs are you looking through?"
Hassan: "There's this job. Transport. But it's tomorrow and I'm pretty tired. There's also this lookout job. I could take this. It's decent pay."
Kassius: "Can I see the transport one?"
Hassan: "Here."
Hassan hands him the paper.
Kassius: "Hmm... so everything needed is listed. And the colour, it says green. Is it like the notices?"
Hassan: "Yep."
Kassius: "So green is lowest. Wait, are they all green?"
Hassan: "Mhm."
Kassius: "I'm assuming the pay is better with higher colors, right? Why not look through some of those?"
Hassan: "Oh, those are too high risk. I prefer to stay a ghost to ACO."
Kassius: "A ghost?"
Ayana: "It means he has no notice."
Bonnie: "Yo, guys."
Bonnie and Arnold walk over to the group.
Bonnie: "Who's the guy?"
Kassius: "This is Hassan. And this is Kaizen, Bonnie and Arnold."
Hassan: "Ahh, so you are the rest then."
Kaizen: "The rest of what?"
Arnold: "We're all on notice. Look."
Arnold hands Kaizen the newspaper.
Kaizen: "Hmm. They have all of your names but don't have one for me currently. And you and Kassius are on yellow notice, and Bonnie and I on green. So I'm a wanted man now, right?"
Arnold nods.
Kassius: "Hey, Hassan. What's Bridgeway 11?"
Hassan: "Hmm?"
Kassius: "I think I saw it on one of the papers."
Hassan: "Oh, that. It's just an event."
Kassius: "What's it about?"
Hassan: "Well, it's a live game hosted by an underworld group called Bridgeway. It's a team game and the top 3 teams get some rewards."
Kassius: "Ohh. What kind of rewards?"
Hassan: "They don't say. They like to leave it as a mystery until the last day when they select the groups. And the game is in two weeks. This is a call to sign ups."
Kassius: "How many is needed for a team?"
Hassan: "Four people."
Kassius: "Oh."
Ayana: "You guys should go. It's a good way to get request jobs from big names here."
Bonnie: "Thanks but I'll pass this time."
Bonnie lies down on the ground.
Bonnie: "As much as I really want to, I'm not feeling a game right now."
Kassius: "Well, I'm down. You guys?"
Kaizen: "Sure."
Arnold: "Two weeks is fine."
Kassius: "Hassan, you want to join us?"
Hassan: "Ehh, I don't know. I've seen many of those bridgeway games. People get seriously injured. Too much fighting for my liking."
Bonnie (in head): "Fighting?"
Hassan: "Good news is at least it's never deadly. Well, actually..."
Kaizen: "Hmm?"
Hassan: "Anyway, if it does come down to fighting, my UT wouldn't help much."
Kassius: "Your what?"
Hassan: "My UT."
Everyone goes quiet.
Hassan: "My unique technique..."
The silence remains.
Hassan: "If you guys don't know what a UT is, then even third isn't happening."
Kassius: "Ok, what is it then?"
Hassan: "Hah... alright. Check this."
Hassan pulls his bag in front.
Hassan: "Look at the size of the bag. And now look through it."
Kassius: "There's only a blanket."
Hassan: "Can I borrow that?"
Kaizen: "Hmm? Oh, my bat. You won't damage it, will you?"
Hassan: "I won't, don't worry."
Kaizen hesitantly hands him the bat.
Hassan: "Now, watch."
Hassan puts the bat in the bag and slowly pushes it down. He goes further and further until it enters fully.
Kaizen: "What?! How did you-"
Hassan stops and removes his hand.
Hassan: "Now look inside."
Kassius looks inside.
Kassius: "It's not in there."
Kaizen: "What?! Stop joking."
Hassan: "Tada! It's nowhere to be found, right? Now pass the bag back."
Hassan puts his hand back in and slowly pulls it out. As he exits, the bat follows. He removes it from the bag.
Hassan: "Here you go."
Kaizen: "How did you do that?!"
Hassan: "That's my UT. I have a bag. I can store stuff. Pretty straightforward."
Arnold: "Is this similar to what the Dor'al guy did when he brought us here?"
Hassan: "Oh, you guys met Dor'al? Actually, yes. Pretty much similar."
Kassius: "Hold on, explain this UT thing."
Hassan: "I mean, I can but I'll admit, it will probably just be hard to understand from me. And there's extra stuff to know before a UT. Dor'al is the best explainer on this. You should probably go to him if you want to learn."
Hassan stands up.
Hassan: "I'm heading out. It was nice to meet you guys."
Kassius: "Wait! So you won't join us?"
Hassan: "Look, these types of things aren't what I do. And I told you a-"
Kassius: "What if we learned?"
Hassan: "What?"
Kassius: "What if one of us learns this UT thing?"
Hassan: "I don't think that's possible in two weeks."
Kassius: "Then what can we do to convince you?"
Hassan looks at Kassius and the rest.
Arnold: "If he's not upto it, we shouldn't force him."
Kassius: "But you heard him. We won't get even third place without a UT."
Ayana: "Hassan."
Hassan looks at Ayana, and his eyes widen.
Hassan: "Hah. Not now. Don't."
Ayana: "A deal is a deal."
Hassan: "This is, wow."
Kassius: "What deal?"
Hassan: "A while back, I was having some difficulties and she helped. I said I'd pay her back, and I meant cash."
Ayana: "You said you'd pay me back. Not with money."
Hassan: "Gah!"
Ayana: "Look, you're the person that told me words hold more power than I know. Did you change philosophies?"
Hassan: "Hmph. I didn't."
Ayana: "Just like you owe me, I owe these guys. Could you do me this one favour?"
Hassan: "...Fine. I'll give you guys a week. If one of you can explain how the process of my technique works, then I'll join."
Kassius: "That's it? No UT?"
Hassan: "That's it."
Kassius: "Calm!"
Hassan: "Haha! Yeah, calm."
Hassan and Kassius shake hands.
Hassan: "Alright, take care, you lot."
Hassan walks away.
Kassius: "Thanks, Ayana."
Ayana: "It's no problem."
Walking through the entrance, Dor'al passes by Hassan and they exchange greetings. Hassan points out to the group and Dor'al walks up to them.
Dor'al: "Hassan says you guys need my assistance."
Kassius: "Yes. Could you teach us about a UT?"
Dor'al: "A unique technique? I suppose I can. I assume you have an understanding of presence then, correct?"
Kassius: "Presence? I swear I've heard that before."
Arnold: "It was back then. When we first got to Ader."
Bonnie: "Oh yeah, that Remus guy did that thing and I couldn't move."
Dor'al: "He imposed his presence on you? A bit classless by him, but it's Remus."
Kassius: "Are you able to teach us?"
Dor'al: "I can, but it will cost you."
Kassius: "Ayana, do you have a favour from this guy by chance?"
Ayana shakes her head.
Kassius: "OK, how much?"
Dor'al: "I'll do twenty thousand per person."
Kassius: "Twenty thousand?!"
Dor'al: "This is a generous price, I'd say."
Kassius: "My pockets would disagree."
Arnold: "We'll pay."
Kassius: "Hmm?"
Dor'al: "Excellent. I'll let you get your affairs in order. Tomorrow morning meet me here."
Dor'al walks away.
Kassius: "Twenty? Maybe Remus will teach us for free."
Ayana: "You can't afford to waste time if you want Hassan to join you, right?"
Kaizen: "So how will we pay?"
Arnold: "With the diamond."
Kassius: "Hmm?!"
Arnold: "You have it with you, right?"
Kassius: "Yes, but... I don't know, I thought we would've kept it. As a trophy."
Arnold: "Kassius. We have no money."
Kassius: "Fine... how do we get money from this thing?"
Ayana: "Actually, there is a solution for that."