Setting
She gave Amen a hard, serious look, "And that's the thing, I don't think they care. Didn't you hear Dikshil and Laszlo? They could've gotten G.H.S.T! Ghost! This was a situation that warranted the second best task force, a situation that even G.H.S.T Captain James Kyo couldn't handle and yet all the Commissioner did was order us three for backup. You said it yourself, D.U.S.K died! They all died. This isn't a promotion it's a...a death wish," Su paused, her hands shaking slightly, "My life matters, more than they think it does. So does yours, Mr. De Silva. I think I'm going to quit."
"Since you're probably gonna quit, I got one request," Amen stated. "Whether you agree or not is up to you, but...even if you quit DUSK, don't quit the NSPA."
"I'll be real with you," Amen continued, leaning forward. "Everybody on DUSK is dangerous. I. Their own way. Even me, and I'm the only one who hasn't killed nobody," he shrugged. "I don't know what game Dikshil was playing when she broght you up along with us, but...you got thrown into the fire. Stay in DUSK, you gonna keep gettin' thrown in. If you leave, you'll find some peace...but that fire left a mark."
"Inspector Jong is just as bad as Dikshil. Maybe worse, I can't tell you," Amen frowned. "People whI wouldn't know you from anyone else, know your face now. Eyes are everywhere and those eyes spotted you poking your face where it didn't belong. Staying within the NSPA is safer..."
After a long silence she eventually spoke, "I don't know if it'll be that simple."
***
December 2nd, 2117
8:49AM
District Unknown
The headache induce beat of the club hit him still echoed in his skull, like a second pule existing entirely on his migraine-fatigued temples. He went to the German club, tried his best with the nightlife, danced away. Then, things went hazy. Things went a bit awry. His memory was failing him.
Meon Jong opened an eye slowly. Sunlight, blinding, immediate. From the one small window directly ahead of him. Where was he. Dank, concrete. Dirty. The floor was below him. His hat lay on the wet ground. Meon Jong glanced up at his body as he began to become more aware of his situation. His arms were bound with plastic rope. His legs too, and he was hanging, upside down, from a meathook in the ceiling. Not through his legs, thank God. No, it was tied tightly to the ropes on his legs. Down the hall he could hear something. Footsteps. "Aw shit," Jong breathed, spittle dripping on his forehead as he spoke his first words.
***
December 2nd, 2117
8:49AM
District Unknown
The headache inducing beat of the club still echoed in his skull, like a second pule existing entirely on his migraine-fatigued temples. He went to the German club, tried his best with the nightlife, danced away. Then, things went hazy. Things went a bit awry. His memory was failing him.
Meon Jong opened an eye slowly. Sunlight, blinding, immediate. From the one small window directly ahead of him. Where was he. Dank, concrete. Dirty. The floor was below him. His hat lay on the wet ground. Meon Jong glanced up at his body as he began to become more aware of his situation. His arms were bound with plastic rope. His legs too, and he was hanging, upside down, from a meathook in the ceiling. Not through his legs, thank God. No, it was tied tightly to the ropes on his legs. Down the hall he could hear something. Footsteps. "Aw shit," Jong breathed, spittle dripping on his forehead as he spoke his first words.
"Motherfuckin' pig, I told you," the Old Boy growled. "Don't stick your nose where it don't belong," he continued, dragging a metal bat behind him. "Now you've fucked up everything..."
Another man was behind him. A younger man with similar enough features that he could be assumed to be Old Boy's brother. "You know what we gotta do to pigs, right hoss?" Young Man asked his older brother. "Gotta roast 'em..."
"Hold on their, motherfucker, first thing's first...." Old Boy held up a hand and used his other hand to raise up the bat. " Ya gotta tendering the meat first."
"Oh, that's right, hoss..." Young Man spoke, as if realizing this for the first time. If Meon Jong were to look into either of their eyes to search for any answers or mercy...he would find none.
"We dem boys," Young Man stated as Old Boy slammed the bat into Meon's augmented leg.
"What do you know about the Chinese?! " Young Man asked, violently grabbing Meon's face. "We askin' the questions here, boy! Not you! You answer this and you might live! You don't and you're fucked! Now, what the fuck do you know about the fuckin' wastleanders?! What's the NSPA know?!"
"Can't trust a word that fuckin' pig says..." Old Boy assured. "NSPA got their noses in every fuckin' pie in and put of the city..."
Young Man began to dig his fingers into Meon's face. "You hear that, pig?! Can't trust you for shit!"
"Hold on...." Old Boy noted. "We can't fuckin' kill this fucker. Not yet. Not today. He needs to answer back to his fuckin' masters. Let's give him a chance to get outta here alive."
Young Man looked torn at this, looking from his brother back to Meon Jong. "...We will be seein' you again, pig! Long as you keep pokin' your nose where it don't belong..." He turned this his to look at his brother once more. "You thinkin' them boys down at the pool?"
"Fuck yeah, fuck what I said before...he can live if he can survive," Old Boy stated. "Trail ain't gonna lead back to us either way..."
Young Man smiled and looked to Meon Jong. "You like to awim, piggy?"
Young Man walked over towards a crank in the corner of the room and began to turn it. As he did, Meon could feel the meathook holding his leg begun to move on the belt above, carrying him outside. He quickly found himself exiting the building through a broken window.
From the outside, looking upside down, he could at elast tell wherever he had been housed, it was not a a building that lived up to any proper structural code. Likely condemned long ago, but the city never demolished it. Thus certainly wasn't in any well off portion of the city.
Meon would feel the meathook violently loose as he below him, he would see a small pool of water that was being funneled through a large pipe. Meon could make any guess where the water was flowing from, but what was more interesting was what was I'm it. Several exotic fish...as well as something larger. Alligators. Three of them. As he was looking around, the one saving grace out of this situation was that there was a ladder nearby, one he could potentially swim to quickly enpugh to escape the jaws of death.
Jong dived into the waters, pummeling a fist into a crocodiles face with one hand whilst grabbing hold of the rusty railing of the escape ladder. With grunted screams Jong began to climb up, escaping the prey below...
***
There was a patter on Su-Min's door. Without adequate notice it was shoved open, Camilla strolling in with a bright yellow track jacket, a giant can with a toxicity symbol on it in her hand. "Yo, I got you some radiated sodium," She began, pausing as she spotted Amen, looking like a chump.
"Did somebody say, FLY?! That's the secret WORD OF THE DAY!" The holographic avatar of New York Rat began to relay as it emitted from the hospital monitor, clearly having not been reset for the child that was in here last. "CUT THE CHEESE! CUT CHEESE! CUT THE CHEESE! CUT THE CHEESE!" he sang as visible holographic farts filled the room.
Amen just stated blankly at everything that had just occurred
Camilla watched him go before turning to Su-Min, "Hey kid," The Nairobian murmured, leaning on her elbow as she took a seat. "I was with you on the ride here but I had to go home. They told me you'd be alright," Camilla gave a sharp toothed smile. "Doctor's never lie when you can pay, right?"
Camilla sighed heavily. "I know what Dikshil is trying to do. The fires burning, and she won't care if we get scorched." Camilla rose an eyebrow. "You gotta decide what you wanna do... but listen, I don't let kids get hurt." The woman rose. "I ain't chasing glory. I'm chasing stability. If you stay on... I've got your back."
"Who... do you know her?" He asked, glancing in to Su-Min whilst keeping an eye on the departing DUSK inspector...