//Ahn: Deal With the Devil

This "Hephaestus" had been easily able to see that Ahn and Sae were androids. He also somehow knew that Ahn was injured. When he figured these things out, his demeanor had completely changed.

He had called them "guests". What was that supposed to mean?

Ahn scanned Hephaestus for electronics, finding none. He was human. He wasn't even augmented.

Hephaestus was peering around the room, shaking his head. "Now, that's no way to treat your host's home, is it?" he asked, looking at the open drawers and parts strewn about the room.

'Host?' Ahn thought.

"Hmmm." Hephaestus had a perplexed look on his face. "Your shoulder really took a beating," he said, reaching to lift up Ahn's tattered sleeve.

Ahn swatted his hand away, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.

This only piqued the wild curiosity in Hephaestus' face. "Your eyes," he said excitedly. "Why are they changing colors?" The sudden level of energy in his voice starkly contrasted his rough appearance.

Ahn quickly looked away, trying to calm himself down. "Just a malfunction from an old injury," he replied.

"I see," Hephaestus said, traces of skepticism in his voice. "Anyway, how do you two intend to pay for the repairs?"

Pay for the repairs? What was he talking about?

'I think he's an underground tech specialist of some sort,' Sae's voice said in Ahn's head. 'This could be an opportunity to get you fully repaired.'

She was right. While her earlier remedy had helped, it wouldn't last much longer, and having to fix his arm every time he went into combat would be a hindrance, to say the least. Ahn had heard about these kinds of people. There were supposedly black market arms dealers that would repair weaponry or androids with no questions asked, and would often have access to illegal parts that would be higher quality than many military androids'. They were commonly referred to as 'blacksmiths'. The issue with this kind of business, however, was that to make a deal with one of these people was to strike a deal with the devil.

"How much will it cost?" Ahn asked, locking eyes with the blacksmith.

Hephaestus grinned. The conversation was finally going in the direction he wanted. "Let me see your arm, then we can talk about prices."

Ahn removed his shirt, exposing his lean, muscular build. If it weren't for the wires spilling out of his wounds, he would have looked very much human.

Hephaestus noticed this, again marvelling at the construction quality of the injured android in front of him. He reached up, poking at Ahn's bad shoulder. Ahn winced.

"Ah, so you have pain receptors, too?" Hephaestus asked, his eyes shining. "Though that will be a pain to deal with during repairs," he muttered, stroking his beard. "No matter. I've determined the cost."

Ahn's focus shifted away from the sharp pain in his shoulder. The asking price was sure to be ridiculous. This was especially problematic considering that he and Sae had no money to speak of. They never had a need for credits when they worked at EDGE - everything they needed was provided for them.

"You're combat androids, aren't you?" Hephaestus asked. At this point, Ahn had stopped being surprised. This man was in a league of his own when it came to tech. But what did the fact that they were suited for combat have to do with anything?

Ahn nodded. Lying about it would just raise Hephaestus' suspicion of them, and he had asked the question like he already knew the answer.

"Parts," he said simply. "If you bring me the parts needed to repair you, I'll do it free of charge."

What was he playing at? There had to be some form of ulterior motive behind such a compelling offer.

"Of course, that won't be all."

There it was.

"I'm going to closely examine you and analyze your build as I go through the repairing process. You two are different than any of the androids sent to me before. I'm curious as to what your creators managed to install in you."

That was it?

"Of course, I won't damage or intentionally alter anything that doesn't need to be replaced. It would be a shame for such a technological marvel to go to waste." Hephaestus looked pleased with himself.

"So…" Ahn spoke cautiously. "What did you mean when you asked if we were combat androids? How was that relevant to my repairs?"

Hephaestus grinned. "There's a bit of a win-win situation here. The parts I'm gonna need to repair you aren't easy to come by. You'll need to break into a few different businesses and steal them. They're the reason I'm secluded to this godforsaken hole in the ground."

Ahn could tell that this process wouldn't be an easy one. Any company with high-grade parts would mean a weapons manufacturer. Companies close to being on par with EDGE.

But they couldn't just turn down an offer like this. It was their only option, and Hephaestus was playing that to his advantage. Ahn reluctantly nodded.

"What do you need us to get?"

Hephaestus' grin widened, the excited look on his face returning.

"Your first target is Void Industries. I look forward to doing business with you."