Salvation 2035

Chapter 39- Quest for Vengeance

『Tsuki』

     "Hey, Tsuki, are you ready to head out?" Raf's voice comes from outside of my door.

     "Yeah, I'm good," I shout back at him, just finishing lacing up my boots. It's a good thing we're going shopping today, cuz these clothes are gonna get kinda funky if I wear them for another full day. It's the same oversized black denim jacket I have with some baggy jeans and a t-shirt. It's nothing spectacular on its own, but add some accessories here and there and you got yourself one fly fit. I decided to do a purple look for my makeup. I mean, it's usually that, or red, or blue. I should try more colours, but for now, this is what I like.

     I step outside and meet Raf. He looks a little surprised to see me. Oh, right. He saw my bare face last time. The difference between that and what I look like now is definitely drastic enough to warrant a response.

     "Shall we?" he invites.

     "Yeah, yeah, I know I look real different," I point out.

     "It looks cool," he compliments me.

     "Uh, thanks," I reply.

     "How long did it take?"

     "About an hour."

     "Wow, now that's dedication!"

     "Yeah, I guess so," I answer vaguely.

    We make our way out of the office building into the city. Lailah came by to pick up Halo. I'm gonna miss having him around. One day, I want to get a dog. I was hoping to keep Halo around for when I hang out with Raf to act as a buffer of sorts. But actually, we aren't as awkward as one might think. Conversation comes quite naturally between us; it's like I've met him before.

     The city seems entirely different in the daytime. Luckily, it's mild outside, with the sun peeking from behind the clouds. Rather than malls, people have their shops throughout the streets, even with clothes hanging on racks outside. It feels a lot more personal than the malls. The styles offered here are a lot more unique, which I really like.

     "Seeing anything you like?" Raf inquires.

     "Um, let's go here," I point to a store that catches my eye.

     "'Invidia'?" He reads the sign. "Cool."

     We head in and I browse around for a bit, picking out pieces that look interesting to me. Raf just waits by the exit. These days, I like clothes that are more oversized. But still, I should have a few options that are more fitted, since I may have to make a run for it without making too much noise. Oversized fits are comfortable, but they sure are loud.

    "Need any help carrying that?" one of the shop staff asks me. Admittedly, it is a lot of stuff. I have two long-sleeve t-shirts, two short-sleeve t-shirts, three pairs of pants, and a jacket. But it's no problem at all.

     "Nah, I'm good. I'd like to try these on, though," I tell her.

     "Right this way," she gestures towards the fitting rooms.

     Luckily, everything goes over pretty well. The majority of the items fit me well enough, so I think I'll buy them. It's going to be a bit pricey, but I rarely spend my money anyways. Speaking of money, I'll probably need to find out how I can get a job around here. I guess Raf would probably know. He's hanging out in the accessories section.

     "I'm all done," I inform him.

     "Which of these would look better?" He holds up two pairs of earrings. They both have a chain motif with geometric accents but are different enough that I could see how he would have a problem choosing one over the other.

     "Um, this one, I think," I choose the one on the left. They're asymmetrical, and given how many piercings he has, he could probably find a way to balance them out.

     "I was thinking the same thing," he smiles. "Well, I'll go pay."

     I wait a moment or two for him to finish, and we go on our way.

     "Since you got a lot of stuff there, why don't we head back and drop it off?" Raf suggests. "That way I can show you around a bit more."

     "Good idea," I agree.

     After a quick trip back to the office building, we go out once more. It's a bit later, so more people are out and about. I have to say, even though everyone here is a criminal of some kind, this is probably the safest I've felt walking around in a while. The streets we're walking around aren't too distinct from any other mid-low income place, except there's no presence of law enforcement. I guess if something bad happens, someone like Mikael would set things straight. Technology seems to have yet to invade this place. There are a lot more trees, as opposed to obtuse metallic sculptures or video screens typical of any other city. It's like this place is stuck in the past- a picture of what life could be like if there wasn't a war or obsession with the economy.

     "Can I ask you something?" I inquire.

     "Of course."

     "How many of these people do you know?" I ask. "Like, how many of them stumbled across this place like me?"

     "Eh, just a few here and there," he shrugs. "There's a whole wide range of people that arrive here."

     "Then what about you?" I question. "How'd you get here?"

     "I ran away from home when I was sixteen," he says. "If it wasn't for Mikael, who knows where I would have ended up."

     "I see," I respond. "Do you have a job?"

     "Sort of," he smirks. "I'm kind of a bounty hunter."

     "Mikael told me that this place is being propped up by that kind of stuff," I recall. "What's someone got to do to get a gig like that?"

     "You want in?" he replies, somewhat surprised.

     "Gotta pull my own weight around somehow," I answer. "I've been keeping people from messing with me for years, might as well make some money out of it." I don't think I'll stay here for very long, but there's nothing wrong with having a bit of extra cash on hand. I still have a lot, but I never want to be in a situation where I have nothing.

     "I've got a pretty big job on my hands right now, so how about we tag-team it?" he suggests. "It's allegedly some Moderator's kid who's been creepin' on some people, so it's not gonna be a walk in the park to find them. But the reward is huge, so I couldn't help but take it up. Of course, we'll be competing against other bounty hunters that may have caught wind of this job, so it's a little time-sensitive."

     "Count me in. Those kinds of people are the ones I hate the most," I recall memories from my past.

     Revenge has never easily presented itself to me. All of those years, those kinds of people did whatever they wanted to me with little concern for consequences, mainly because there weren't any. Because my humanity and the humanity of those around me were taken away, we couldn't do anything but put up with those who exploited our situations. But today, everything's changed. I'm not that scared, little kid anymore. But for him, and everyone else like him, I'll do this job, and I'll do it well. If I can save even one person from what I repeatedly experienced, then it's worth all the time I can give.

     "The feeling is mutual," Raf sympathizes. "Then there's no use of us standing around here— let's get to work!"