Azaria 2 - 4

Good Morning Everyone!

Chapter 4: Assisting the Drug Lords?

Lance

Jogging through the late night, or rather at this point it was early morning hour, I made for the rougher part of town. It was a good thing I had memorized Luna’s organization’s location when she gave me their card. I would really be out of luck if I was stuck on the streets after sunrise with my current appearance.

“You can’t make it back here?” Azaria asked and I shook my head.

“I would love to head back there, but that’s the first place they’re going to check for me. Not to mention, you said Neo had bought your dungeon, right?”

“Yeah, the prick better hold onto his heart until the day I rip it out.”

“Okay, well grim ideas aside, that means he likely has his eyes on your place as well. Neo is the strongest Powered in the city. I doubt anything will slip through his nets easily. I think it is best that I avoid your dungeon for the time being.”

“I understand. It also sounds like I need to work on my next floor. Someone kept failing to deliver the amusement part information.”

“Sorry about that. The woman I’m controlling has some of that ready, but I don’t know if there is a way to get it to you now.”

“Hold on.” I nodded while continuing to run. The Highlock’s manor was located in, well, the best part of town before the apocalypse. Now, it was even more so as the people that used to have money were kicked out by the powered. Now the powered make sure that their streets are the best of the best by employing hundreds of people to keep it up.

Keeping to the shadows, it took longer than I cared for, but I managed to make it out of the district. Back in the regular city, as I liked to call it, I felt at least a little bit more at home. I rushed through the city making for the address of Luna’s group.

“If you can get it to the café near my dungeon, there is a trashcan outback. Place the papers there and I’ll get them,” Azaria said suddenly nearly causing me to stumble.

“Oh… Okay, you got it.” I would need to borrow a phone when I reached Luna’s place. Hopefully, they were at least open to helping me.

“It’s almost sunrise. I’m going to leave you for now,” the Azaria doll said as it crawled into a pocket.

I managed to reach the address just as the morning sun was dying the sky pink. I found a drugstore that looked pristine. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was told that it opened just the other day. Looking inside through the glass, I didn’t see anyone and the business hours stated they didn’t open for another three hours.

Not really caring to wait here for such a length of time, I looked around to see if there might be something else to give me a clue. There were what looked like apartments above the store, so I checked around me before I leapt up to the first landing. I was going to just wait there, but I caught a familiar scent and recognized Luna’s perfume. She had been wearing it pretty heavily the other night during the party.

Using my nose, I tracked the scent to a door at the very end of the landing. When I was sure it went inside, I cleared my throat and knocked heavily. After another knock, I saw a doorbell and wanted to smack my forehead. I pressed that as well. After almost two minutes, I was getting worried that she might not be home when the door flew open nearly catching me in the nose. I just barely caught it in time.

“Who the fuck do you think you…”

Luna’s eyes widen as they took my appearance in and I could almost see the scream building in her throat. I lurched forward and wrapped my hand around her mouth as gently as I could. I did have claws that were nearly fifteen centimeters long. She started to struggle as I pushed her back into the apartment.

“Calm down! I don’t plan to hurt you, but given what I already have going against me, I won’t be against it.”

She finally stopped and I carefully pulled my hand away. “Who the hell are you? Why does your voice sound so familiar?”

I sighed and dropped to the ground. “I’m Lance. The one from the frog dungeon.”

“What?!” she exclaimed. “Why do you look so ugl… different?”

“So you didn’t find the illusion charm at that time huh? Oh well. This is my true form,” I answered with a shrug. “I’m in a bit of a bind.”

“Those are usually words that prompt me to end my association with people,” Luna said with narrowed eyes. She suddenly snapped her fingers. “Congratz by the way.”

“For?”

“You managed to kill that bastard Kyle! And from the grasp of the Shinigami at that! Impressive.”

“Ah. Easy as pie.” Part of me still couldn’t believe this Shinigami was my sister. The pain I had felt in my chest said otherwise.

“Alright. You should be fine here for a while, but I’m going to need dets!”

After about an hour of explaining, and thank Luna a pot of coffee, I had told her everything I felt was safe to tell. They already had their sights set on a dungeon and I didn’t quite feel like telling them I was in direct contact with one. It might lead to question that I simply couldn’t answer.

“So. What you’re telling me is that not only does the Shinigami have something against you, the complete other side of the spectrum the golden highbornes also have a beef with you?”

“That’s about the gist of it. I wouldn’t even had bothered you, but I can’t very well survive in the wilds without this being removed,” I said tapping the collar around my neck.

“Yes. Those are a hassle to deal with. We actually have one that we use… every now and then. They cost a few fortunes to acquire.”

“Can you get this off me?” I asked not even trying to hide the desperation in my voice.

“Well… It’s not impossible. From what I hear the key works on all of them, not that any of the organizations are willing to test this out.”

“Well! Now’s your chance,” I said excitedly.

“Miss Lance have you forgotten. We are an organization. A business. We can’t have you expecting things for free,” Luna said clicking her tongue like I was a child.

My claws dug furrows into the carpet as my anger spiked, but if I killed her then there was little chance they would help me. “What… what do you want?”

“Yes. That’s the spirit. A transaction,” Luna cheered clapping her hands. “I want you to dive a dungeon for us.”

My anger vanished and I perked up. “A dungeon? Which one?”

“Dungeon Twenty-one. There is a certain item there that my boss would just die for,” Luna replied though the way she said die made me wonder if I was getting into the middle of a gang war.

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