The Perfect Combination #1

Chapter 2: Neo

Neo felt like today was going to be a good day, and that usually meant that something terrible was going to happen. At least, that was his experience. He looked up at the bar's deteriorating sign. 

The Fancy Barrel. 

He couldn't help the humorless chuckle. Fancy? The bar was everything but fancy. 

As he entered the bar, he was welcomed by a horrific smell of alcohol, vomit, and something not quite recognizable, but very wrong, that was like a violent attack on his keen sense of smell, and he struggled a bit to not bend over and part with what little content his stomach had. 

This was the smell of home. 

The bar itself wasn't exactly packed, only a few people were still awake this early in the morning. The bartender was engaged in a conversation but still managed to notice Neo standing in the doorway, and gave him a wolfish grin, baring his large canine teeth.

"Look what the cat dragged in... Or should I say snake?" The wolf bellowed out a laugh, while the few people in the bar looked up slightly, but lost interest as soon as they realized it was just Neo.

"You know, that joke was almost fun when you told it the first time ... Now I'm not sure it is not simply the sound of your doorbell, I must have heard it a hundred times, Nomik." Neo groaned annoyingly, although his smile gave him away. 

Nomik was already putting his usual drink on the bar table before he could sit down and Neo noticed that he was fighting hard to hold in his grin. 

Oh? 

Neo knew what that meant and he couldn't help getting excited over the thought. Normik got a job for him. He blinked slowly, trying not to get too excited, and had to hide his black fluffy cat tail under the table as it shook involuntarily in excitement.

He slipped 10 pesetas over the table and grinned.

"So? Do you have anything for me?" Neo asked and lifted his glass only to find it momentarily stuck to the sticky table. 

He tried to lift it again with a little more force and finally freed the drink from the table that let to some of the content splashed out on his fingers, which Neo licked up with his barbed tongue.

"Actually, you came just at the right time." Nomik leaned closer, his snout almost touching Neo's pointy ears. 

"One of my sources in The Order says that a very valuable package will be delivered at Rowan Lane this night" A suggestive grin spread on Nomik's face as he crossed his furry arms. 

"It's apparently so important that high officials from the Civil Guard are involved, which also means that a lot of money is involved, if you know what I mean?" He winked. 

Neo took his time taking a sip of his drink, mulling over Nomik's words.

"What's in the package for even high officials to be involved?"

"You'll love this," Normik grinned. 

"Apparently high concentrated stun bombs made from Gepetto himself"

"No way," Neo's eyes grew wide. 

"Gepetto?! You sure?" he said a bit skeptically. After all, Gepetto was a highly known, but very mysterious and secretive weapons smith and scientist in the Ethainia dome. 

No one knew who the person was, but their weapons were highly sought after because of their high proficiency and how powerful they were. Neo would have stolen it for himself if it wasn't because he needed the money more.

"As sure as I can be" Normik answered as he hit his chest proudly.

"At what time will the package be delivered exactly?" Neo asked.