Amber turned to Benjamin. "Just a few night calls here and there. In my office, of course. You can set a schedule with your people. Nothing too difficult." answered Benjamin. Bradley sat back in his chair, an uncomfortable expression on his face when looking at the grinning Benjamin and the reserved Amber. "Mr. Bradley?" Amber pulled him back to reality. "Well? We don't have all night." "I'll have to go over some finer details. Honestly, it still feels like I'm getting raw-fucked here. And I don't like the look of his face" he started, pointing to Benjamin. "But?" "It seems like an arrangement can be made here." Answred Bradley formally. "Of course. Money is the great lubricant, as they say, you know. It shows appreciation" snickered Benjamin. Amber reached into her handbag. "That sounds great, Mr. Bradley. Let's draw up a contract as soon possible." "Wait. What?! You mean today?!" protested Bradley. Amber produced a white sheet from her black handbag, and spread it over th
"So, where do we go from here?" Benjamin asked Amber.After Bradley had filed out, the both of them were the only ones left in the ransacked restaurant."What do you mean? The contract. I'll have the new one drafted tomorrow. It's already getting late" she remarked, checking her watch, and not really looking at him."I wasn't talking about the contract" clarified Benjamin."Then what?"Benjamin gestured to the entire table. Their little date."All this," he said."Oh. Well, I don't just think I'm in the mood for a date anymore, Boss"He flinched. "You were calling me Benjamin up until a few hours ago. Everyone's still gone and you're calling me Boss?""Which would you prefer then" asked Amber in a sparky tone. "Black? Or something else?""Forget it, It's not about the name" retracted Benjamin.Amber rolled her eyes and began to arrange her bag."Whoa whoa. You're leaving already?""I already said it was late. Is there something else you'd like to discuss?"Benjamin extended and waved
"Is that so?" stepped forward the agent. "You think I'm in danger with you, then?""Oh, absolute-" Benjamin had reached into the drawers for another clip but found nothing. He moved his hand around several times, but it was empty. Impossible."Is this what you were looking for?" asked the agent, waving the shiny short clip.Benjamin stared in awe. The man had transveresd the distance from the sofa, to be sitting directly before him on the desk. There was a tight sensation in his right hand, and Benjamin looked to see that his pistol had disappeared as well."And this?" asked the man, jamming the clip into his newly acquired gun.This is the effect of [GodSpeed], huh, wondered Benjamin. It was easy to see how the agent had bypassed all of Ivy Corp's security protocols. In no time, the gun was pointed at his temples."I did like you, Mr. Benjamin. If you can believe that. But it seems that between us, your mouthpiece is going to be what does you in." he rebutted."Hey, hey, hey. Aren't
"Please, save me! SAVE ME!"Benjamin nodded his head. "Okay. Enough chit-chat. Hand over the card."Benjamin remembered what had happened when he tried using [Bow Down To Me] on Linda. Somehow, the card had deflected his command. So the whole point of this rigmarole was to disarm Mr.Whoever's card from his person as soon as possible.Mr.Whoever bit his lip and hesitated for a millisecond. They had just past the 5th floor. Benjamin clapped his hands."That's the sound of you hitting the pavement" he smiled. There was a squeal, and the card was in Benjamin's hands in the next fraction of a second, which was also when they hit the ground.Although PAYTON, had assured him firmly there were no consequences, Benjamin still blinked his eyes when he made contact with the hard surface.He opened them to find they had landed on some poor bastard's minivan. And by them, Benjamin, who had rolled forward first to absorb all the impact. He pushed Mr.Whoever aside, and clambered down to assess the d
On the elevator ride down, Bradley asked: "So, this thing is supposed to make me bulletproof?""Theoretically. But not this one. The host has no [Body Enhance] skills" clarified Benjamin."[Body Enhance]" repeated a lost Bradley."It won't make you bulletproof, but you can go really fast. Like, zoom zoom" Benjamin demonstrated with his fingers. "Well, you have to see it to believe it""I don't doubt that. Is there like an 'On' Button, or--" Bradley fiddled and flipped the card multiple times to check."Calm down, Sheesh" remonstrated Benjamin. "We're not even outside yet" And turned to Mr. Markham. "Is there an 'On' button?"Markham bobbed his head and said: "There is a pattern. You flip the card in a specific order. First, Back To Front 4 times. Then Front to Back 3 times. And finally Back To Front 9 times. To activate [Avatar Mode]." he explained."You catch all that?" Benjamin asked Bradley."Way ahead of you" replied Bradley, completing a flip, and then perking his head and ears
"But I want to hear you say it. What exactly do you mean by trouble?"Dominique turned to his Captain. I don't take direct orders from him. Should I say anything? Bradley nodded for him to go ahead."Arson, Sir" replied Dominique."Arson! What the fuck? Who?!""We're working on identifying some of them, now, Sir""So we didn't catch anyone?""We're going to. I believe we have some addresses now, but the madam will give you the complete details."Benjamin shook his head. "I'll deal with this when I get back. But in the meantime, Good work! Let's go, Bradley.""You did good, Kid. Again, about this whole thing. I'm sorry it has to be like this"Of course, Bradley was referring to the whole arrangement of their precinct coming to work for a private individual."It's quite alright. I mean, it's not alright, in the face of the law, Captain. But we trust your instincts. And I have to thank you too. Those arsonists are the only action I've seen since joining the force." remarked the boy."Ju
"I assume you have a plan for when the police or 911 or some other watchful entity realizes there's a fucking helicopter on the beach? That's the whole reason I've managed to stay calm until now," said Bradley."Yeah, there's a plan.""Hmm? The plan is that we work fast, and get the fuck out of here." motivated Benjamin, tugging on the crate. That didn't budge."PAYTON, activate [Martial Arts].""At once, Master Benjamin. However, you should know, that [Martial Arts] is incapable of granting inhuman strength, such as ripping a wooden shipping crate with your bare hands," explained PAYTON."There is another skill for that.""Allow me" interrupted Bradley, almost shoving Benjamin aside."Let me guess," said Benjamin, watching Bradley brace his hands at one of the crate ends. Then, with a simple movement similar to a furniture man laying down a rug, Bradley casually peeled off one of side of what looked like dozens of laminated wood."I could get used to this," remarked Bradley, as they
"Then you would be considered a madman, stripped of your career, your loved ones, and ironically your sanity. That is, if you got lucky, and the Alliance doesn't get to you first." iterated Benjamin."I-uhh, huh""Mutually Assured Destruction, Bayubee. I mean, I'll be fine, but you get the point. I just trust your instinct to stay alive and thrive, that's all."Bradley looked over the machine a few more seconds before saying: "Then trust it. I have no reason and no means to do anything. What's with the pen? And the Alliance? What's the deal?""Is it really important that you know?"Bradley nodded.Benjamin sighed. "Fine. Where do I start? The Alliance. It's a secret organization, I suppose. Filled with rich people, and people like me.""By people like you, you mean--""Systems, yes." "I see. And how does one become?""I don't know actually. Huh. I was randomly given a system, I suppose. When I was still a son-in-law at my fiance's house?""Son-In-Law? Why would they give something lik