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Kael walked into Misty's Esoterica, but the usual calm presence behind the counter was missing. In Misty's place sat a burly man with a high-fade haircut and tattoos that screamed Valentinos. From his sharp attire to the golden, religiously-themed earrings, he looked like he'd stepped straight out of Heywood.
Kael recognized him instantly: Jackie Welles.
"Welcome, choom. Looking for Misty? She's a bit backed up right now. You'll have to wait," Jackie said, trying to soften his gravelly voice so he didn't scare away the clientele like he'd clearly just done to the last person.
"You're Jackie, right?" Kael sat down across from him.
"You know me?"
"Old Vik mentioned you. Said your fists are like sledgehammers, you've got a heart of gold, and you're Misty's boyfriend."
Jackie beamed at the first half of the sentence, puffing out his massive chest. But at the mention of "boyfriend," he suddenly shrunk back, waving his hands frantically. "Wait, wait! Misty and I... we aren't in that kind of relationship yet."
"Not yet? That's great news!"
"Huh?"
"Since Misty is single, I might just have to pursue her myself," Kael said, stroking his chin with a mock-serious expression.
"No way!" Jackie jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on.
Just then, Misty's voice drifted from the back of the shop. "Kael, stop teasing the poor man."
"Teasing? I'm deadly serious. How could I pass up a girl like you? Right, Jackie?" Kael nudged Jackie with his elbow, but he quickly sobered up when Misty replied with a calm smile.
"Alright then. I'll send a recording of this to Lucy. If she gives the green light, I'll consider your offer."
"I was wrong. I apologize. I am a fool," Kael said immediately, bowing his head in mock surrender.
Misty chuckled. "Viktor is finishing up a diagnostic. You can head down in a minute."
Kael lingered for a moment, spinning on the swivel chair. He looked at the two of them, their obvious chemistry hidden behind layers of street-tough hesitation. "Seriously though, Jackie—don't make her wait forever."
"Kael!" Misty warned, but her eyes were smiling.
Kael raised his hands in a 'peace' sign and ducked into the basement. Once he was gone, Jackie reached out and gently took Misty's hand. He'd known how he felt for a long time, but Kael's bluntness had finally cracked the shell of his nerves.
Down in the clinic, Viktor was Sterilizing tools. He looked up, his face brightening. "You missed a few sparring sessions, kid."
"Busy month, Vik. Reputations don't build themselves."
"The order is in," Viktor said, sliding a box across the table. It contained several high-potency medical sedatives—stuff usually reserved for heavy-duty surgery.
"Perfect. I've been brushing up on my medical theory; I'm practically ready to be your head nurse."
"I couldn't afford your rates," Viktor laughed. He tossed a pair of boxing gloves at Kael. "You got time to move?"
A minute later, Viktor was pinned against the ring's cables. Even through full protective gear, Kael's punches left him gasping.
"Damn... you're getting stronger, Kael. What are they feeding you in the Plaza?"
"Just growing, Vik. Just growing," Kael smiled. The truth was the Power of Three. Ghoul-Kael had recently mastered a CCG physical-conditioning regimen that pushed human limits to the breaking point. By syncing with him, Cyber-Kael's base physical attributes had jumped another tier.
Just as Viktor was about to call it quits, Jackie wandered into the clinic. He watched in disbelief as the legendary Viktor Vektor struggled to keep up with the unaugmented kid.
"No, no, I'm done," Vik panted, staggering out of the ring. He shoved the gloves at Jackie. "Your turn, big guy. Show him what Heywood's made of."
Jackie looked at Kael, who hadn't even broken a sweat. "Me? Alright, let's see what you've got, hermano."
"So, Jackie," Kael said, bumping fists with him. "Confirmed things with Misty yet?"
"Yeah. I owe you one for that push."
Jackie lunged. He was a powerhouse, but Kael was a Pilot. Kael slipped the punch, a "Calculated Survivor" in the ring. He countered with a snap-straight to Jackie's solar plexus. Jackie staggered back, his eyes wide.
"Your fists... they're terrifying," Jackie admitted, his fighting spirit truly igniting.
"I heard you left the Valentinos. Looking for work?" Kael asked, dodging a heavy hook.
"Yeah. Hard to find a straight job with these tatts. Fixers are wary of gang baggage. My pockets are cleaner than my conscience right now."
"I have a job. High risk, high reward. You in?"
Jackie didn't hesitate. "I'm in. I'm tired of delivering packages for scraps."
Evening fell over the neon sleaze of Jig-Jig Street.
Jackie, his face slightly bruised from the afternoon's "lesson," stood beside Kael. He looked like a professional wall of muscle.
"Who are we waiting for, brother?"
"Patience, Jackie. He's coming."
Right on cue, a well-dressed man in a sharp corporate suit stepped out of an AV. Takahashi Hayami, a middle-management head in Arasaka's HR department.
"That's the target," Kael whispered. "Go over there and use those massive pectorals to get his attention."
"Excuse me?" Jackie blinked.
"The man has... specific tastes. Corporate life in Arasaka breaks your brain. He likes your type, Jackie. Trust me."
"Why don't you go?!" Jackie hissed. "I'm a pure Heywood man!"
"He's not into technical geniuses. He wants a Valentino." Kael gave him a shove.
Jackie gritted his teeth and walked forward. At the same time, Lucy pulled up on the Nazaré. She'd been tracking Takahashi's digital footprint for weeks. This was the man who held the keys to the HR archives—the same archives that contained the truth about Kael's father.
As Jackie "accidentally" bumped into the corpo, Takahashi's eyes lit up. He began shamelessly flirting, his hands wandering toward Jackie's chest. Jackie's neck veins bulged; he looked like he was one second away from committing a homicide.
Kael signaled 'OK' through his Kiroshis. As the corpo was distracted, Lucy performed a high-speed "physical hack," swiping the man's personal data-shard while passing by. She tossed it to Kael, who caught it mid-air and pocketed it.
Minutes later, Takahashi reached his luxury car in the parking lot, feeling flustered but satisfied. But as he sat in the driver's seat, he felt a sharp sting in his neck—a high-potency sedative delivered via a micro-needle Kael had planted in the headrest.
The corpo slumped over instantly.
"Whoa, real leather," Jackie said, climbing into the passenger seat as Kael hopped in the back. "This car is worth more than my house."
"Drive, Jackie," Kael said, uploading the destination to the car's nav-node. "We have a corpo to interrogate."
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