A girl huddles on the grimy street, scavenging for scraps like a stray animal. A long rifle clings to her back, an odd contrast to her tattered clothes, exposing her bra and underwear. Jacob and his crew stride by, their presence commanding attention.
"Shion.." Jacob's voice is low, intrigued, as he stops and watches the girl.
"Boss."
Jacob's gaze lingers. "How do you evaluate this girl?"
Shion steps closer, her hand instinctively reaching for the rifle. The girl flinches, but doesn't move, her eyes fixed on the pavement. Shion's fingers dance over the gun's contours. "Ordinary. No power level."
"Why?" Jacob's curiosity is piqued.
"The gun's customized. It looks like a Specter SMAR-9 variant, but longer, with a bigger fire point. Doesn't fit her profile. Only experienced Mercs get customized guns like this." Shion's eyes flick to the girl's face. "I doubt it's hers."
Jacob's smile is slow. "Explain."
"Skilled Mercs don't beg for scraps. They have cash, connections, and skills. This girl's either a pawn or a runaway."
Jacob's eyes gleam. "A beautiful lady like you shouldn't be on the floor, feeding scraps." He crouches, his voice softening. "Why are you here?"
The girl looks up, a sly smile spreading. "No place to stay, sir... hungry. Got food?"
"Shion, Take her. We leave.
Shion's face twists. "Boss, a weakling won't do no good for mercury. A cockroach will only be crushed."
Jacob's voice is firm. "Pick her. We leave."
Shion snarls, then scoops the girl onto her shoulder, following Jacob and the crew as they stride away.
Inside a dimly lit creaky wooden house, the Black Mercury gang holds court. Jacob strides closer, offering the girl a plate of food. She snatches it like a starving animal, shoveling it in with feral intensity. The room holds its breath.
She pauses, bows low, her eyes gleaming with a mix of gratitude and wariness. "Thank you, sir..."
Jacob's smile is slow, intrigued. "What's your name?"
"Ellen, sir..."
Jacob's eyes crinkle. "Ellen... Good."
In a few minutes Ellen finishes the food.
"Nina, shower her. Get her a Uniform. She's one of us now."
Nina's nod is curt. "Fine. Follow me."
As Nina leads Ellen to a room. Jacob pulls out a paper from his pocket, his eyes scanning the details. "A bounty of 25 k on Diata Gulu. Capture the culprit and report to the Opus office for reward." His lips curl into a sly smile. "Shion.. go get him."
Shion strides forward, her eyes locked onto the paper as Jacob offers it to her. She snatches it with a nod. "Roger." And just like that, she's gone.
The minutes tick by slowly. Nina and Ellen emerge from the room, Ellen looking like a completely different person. Sleek black coat, hair polished, eyes sharp.
"Boss, we're done," Nina says.
Jacob nods, his eyes glinting with approval. "Good.."
Samuel saunters over to Ellen, a grin spreading across his face. "Hello girl.. what's your favourite colour.." Ellen's gaze flicks up, a hint of vulnerability flashing in her eyes. "Umm.. I think it's black." Samuel taps her shoulder, a secretive touch. "Ah-haa. Good, you fit the team. Welcome to the gang girl.."
Ellen bows, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you sir.."
Shion reappears, a coin clattering onto the table with a metallic ring. "Boss, the job is done." Jacob's grin widens, his eyes shining with amusement. "You're done already?"
Shion's glares. "Didn't even break a sweat." Her eyes flash with anger. "I need a better challenger next time. Not a runner."
Jacob bursts out laughing, his laughter echoing through the room. "Shion.. calm your temper, we hunt for the money. We need enough to fend for ourselves."
Day two. Another bounty sits on the table, its value making Jacob's grin widen. "Good. This one is more expensive. An award of a million." His thoughts turn inward, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "Sending Shion for this mission could compromise my identity for captain Ariel. And Nina.. no."
Maxwell steps forward, his voice low and steady. "Boss send me. I'll catch him." Jacob's chuckle is low, his eyes approving. "Good.. Maxwell will be perfect." He offers the paper to Maxwell. "This mission is on you now."
Maxwell vanishes like smoke.
Day 3. Another bounty awaits, its value making Jacob's eyes light up. "This one is tough. Shion! Nina, Spike and Maxwell. Go get this bounty. We need this much to catch this guy. His bounty is worth 8 Million." Maxwell collects the paper, and the four plunge into the void.
Hours pass, the silence stretching out. No sign of the four. Later, they stumble back, weary and tired. The room is empty, except for Ellen, her head resting on the table amidst a sea of biscuit wrappers and sweets. She's sprawled in Jacob's chair, fast asleep.
Shion storms forward, her eyes blazing with fury. "I don't know why the boss shelters this swine into our team!" Her palm swings, a sharp crack echoing through the room. Ellen drops to the ground, still sleeping comfortably.
Shion's eyes darken, her foot raised... Click.
Ellen floats, then slams into the wall, her eyes opening casually, like she's been nudged awake. Shion closes in. Her fist raised. A hand clamps hers, stopping the blow. K.B's voice is ice. "You don't get to bully a fellow gang member. Never, that is not tolerable."
Shion's aggression grows hotter. "She's lazy, she doesn't work, she doesn't do anything, she just sleeps and eats!"
Shion yanks her hand free and walks away.
Jacob steps in, surveying the mess. His palm slaps his forehead. "Good gracious. This girl is a minus one. I only took her out of pity, guess I'll have to find means to dispose of her."
Day 4 Spike steps forward, a map clutching in his hand. "Boss, the route to the mid-northern base is set."
Jacob eyes sing predatory. "Good. How long?"
"A few miles away."
"Then we leave. The reward's worth the hunt."
K.B frowns, skeptical. "Boss, is this bounty necessary? We don't know the North's setup."
Jacob's gaze snaps to Spike. Tell me, what is your uptake about the place?"
Spike's voice is steady. "Security's tight, but the basement is vulnerable."
Jacob's chuckle is low. "We'll crush them. Fifty million is worth more than street scraps."
K.B's voice is laced with doubt. "I heard the North has formidable warriors. Abducting a princess there won't be easy."
Jacob's jaw sets. "I've heard of. They're called fire crackers. We'll accomplish the mission"
The group strides through the map's direction, heading straight for mid North.
The team converges on a small town close to a small mountain, their weary eyes scanning the terrain. "We stay here instead." Jacob's voice is low, tactical. "Nina, you take it from here. Test them with every bit of fire in you."
Nina nods, a fierce glint in her eye. "Roger." She vanishes into thin air, leaving behind a faint whisper of displacement.
A few minutes tick by, the silence stretching taut. Nina reappears, her countenance weary. "Boss, the enemies are formidable."
Jacob's eyes narrow, his voice a growl. "How many do you manage to kill so far?"
"Just 3, Boss. My gun is empty." Nina's voice is laced with frustration.
Jacob's eyes snap wide open. "Shion, Maxwell, go straight, raid the camp head on. Take the princess and leave."
The two nod, vanishing into the shadows like ghosts.
"Let's head closer, to get a better view of the fight," Jacob suggests, his voice low. They climb the mountain, their watchful eyes scanning the terrain. They remove their lenses, watching the battle unfold. Ellen's the only one who doesn't have a lens.
Shion and Maxwell materialize in front of the basement, their guns drawn. The air is thick with tension as they advance closer.