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Chapter 49 by TheSpectator TheSpectator

Don't you feel empowered!?

Not really. But I'm gonna try to make things better.

Awkward silence quickly takes over the underground shelter as soon as your feet land. Flora looks at you and she narrows her eyes. Clearly, she hasn't recovered all the trust she lost after your last interaction. She crosses her arms and points her nose straight up. Before she can maintain this pose for too long, you stroll over to the couch and apologize for what happened to her again. She gives a pathetic smile and shrugs, telling you that if you do it again, she wouldn't hesitant on telling you. Right now, however, she wasn't sure if getting you in trouble would really help the situation, but warns you to keep to yourself for now on...

After that, you both sit in silence. Flora returns to her book, eyeing you ever so often to make sure you aren't doing anything that involves her...Like looking at her. Every time she catches your gaze upon her, she snaps at you and tells you to look away. You do what she asks, but your eyes tend to land on her since she's the only other living thing inside the shelter you can physically see.

Eventually, you hear someone start knocking on the hatch. It's a little quick, but is still in some rhythm. Flora jolts at the noise at first, but relaxes when she hears the rest of the knock. She looks at you and scoots away, grabbing her book from before just as the hatch begins to open. You hear a few loud huffs and then some stepping on the metal ladder - then there's a pause. "You guys down here?"

It isn't Kenji or Scarlet. This was probably Alexandra, the person you now the least acquainted with. "We're here." You reply.

"Oh, goody!" Alexandra drops down, kicking a fair amount of dust in the air as she lands. She spins around bows. She looks at Flora and then at you. "Wow, look at you two - lively and very active."

"Like rabbits underground," you say. You stand up and meet the girl in the middle. "I wasn't expecting any sign of you guys in...at least a day or two longer."

Alexandra frowns. "Well, there's a hitch."

Flora places down her book and looks up. "What hitch?"

Alexandra pulls back her hair. It was blonde like Scarlet's, but was dirtier colored and considerably shorter. "Amari is being held as a prisoner. Looks like she got caught up in something between the clan in the East and some rival clan bullshit."

"Oh, no..." Flora stood up too now. A look of deep concern takes her expression. "What are we going to do? And where are the others?"

"Stop." Alexandra held her hand out. "Shut up for fuck's sake."

Flora bit her lips and looked away. You placed your hands on your hips and stepped between them. "Hey, come on now. Just, give us what you know."

"...Scarlet got caught, but from what Kenji told me, she played it off like she was going there to become 'one of them'. I don't think we need to worry too much because these people don't seem to be...savages or anything, but it is fair to mention that they're pretty closed out. I can see why Amari spoke with them, they need better gear from our Syndicate." She closes her eyes. "If we could start supplying those guys we could make a whole lot more money than we already are! We might even get our own factory set up out here. Maybe even START SUPPLYING BILLINGS--"

You clear your throat. "What's the plan?"

"Right," she inhales. "Kenji will keep watch and wait for an opportunity. I suggested started a proxy war, but we don't know anything about either one of them. We can't shift the balance too much or there won't be any money involved. You can't supply one party solely and loose a chance to earn double."

You didn't really understand what she was talking about, but you know the ARS are arms dealers. Listening to her talk, you figure she's made a few contracts in her life time - explaining her presence. She steps towards the closet and digs out a sleeping bag - the quality is only second to Flora's stuff. "I'm not spending the night outside. I'll be like one of you rabbits and sleep here until the morning."

"Ha," Flora steps in with a smile, but it quickly fades as she chases herself with another question. "What about Kenji? Where is he?"

"He's a big boy. He can handle himself. He's got his ways." She slumps down without another word and flicks off her lights. In just a few seconds she's out. You look at Flora and she looks at you. She seems fairly concerned for the others. You wonder why, but don't ask. You're sure it has something to do with how she was rescued from her trade. Flora returns to her book on the couch. The conversation you had with her just a while back seemed too personal for a third person, so you decide not to bring it up.

How do you spend the night?

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