A Night to Inspect

The night still cloaked Neonvale like a dense shroud, speckled with the flickering neon lights in the distance. Raiko was studying the city zones that Gael had detailed moments earlier.

"If we want to start making a difference, we need to choose a district with high criminal activity. We can't tackle everything at once," explained Gael, his tone calm but firm as he pointed at the district names on the screen.

Raiko, with a furrowed brow, crossed his arms and reflected. "The eastern zone... Athenix and Agustion seem like the most problematic... but if we attack there directly, we'll probably draw too much attention right away."

"Exactly. That's why I think we should start with Molinaris. It's less chaotic, but still enough for us to test our abilities without exposing ourselves too much. Plus, I've got a couple of contacts there who might give us useful intel," replied Gael as he adjusted the map on the screen.

Raiko nodded, his gaze still fixed on the map. But his thoughts were elsewhere. For a moment, the fleeting memory of the worried child came back to him. "N1-Red…" he murmured to himself.

Gael, who was jotting down notes, looked up. "What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about what you said. Molinaris will be our starting point. We'll move tomorrow night."

Gael noticed that Raiko was trying to shift the conversation but decided not to press him. "Perfect. I'll get everything ready."

The next day, close to noon.

Raiko woke up to the sound of Gael moving boxes around the living room. "What are you doing so early?" he asked, stretching and yawning.

"Getting everything ready for tonight, and moving some clutter out of the way. We need to be prepared in case something goes wrong. Also, I found some recent reports about suspicious activity in Molinaris. We might run into trouble with the Crimson Vultures, a local gang that controls most of the routes in that area."

Raiko nodded, taking a moment to process the information. "If the Crimson Vultures are involved, we need to be careful. But this doesn't change anything. We'll go tonight to inspect, you don't need to do much just for this"

Gael, though a bit skeptical, smiled. "You're right… I I guess I went too far, for it being just an inspection mission.."

Raiko let out a light laugh. "Glad you realized it … Now take all of that to the storage room."

A few hours later.

Raiko and Gael are on their way to the cafeteria. Gael tells Raiko, "I think we need help… just the two of us would take too long to change the city. But… I don't trust the police, which is why I told the ones I worked with during the heist that drawing too much attention isn't always a good thing. That's why I distanced myself from them…"

Raiko thought about what Gael said. "He's right. On my first mission, the police tried to arrest me. I don't trust them much either." He replied to Gael, "I think if we're going to get more help, we're not the only ones…"

Raiko stopped in his tracks, deep in thought.

"Raiko, what's wrong?" Gael asked with some concern.

"Gael, we're not the only ones!" Raiko said confidently, though Gael looked confused.

"We're not?"

"On my first mission, I met someone with blue eyes. At Martin's Cafeteria, I also saw a girl with pink eyes. I don't remember if I saw anyone else… but I know I've seen them."

Gael was impressed.

When they arrived at the café, they flung the double doors open and shouted at the same time, "Martin!!"

Everyone inside turned to look at them. Gael started to feel nervous. "What an awkward moment…" he muttered.

Raiko walked up to the counter, where Martin greeted him. "Hey, guys. No need to shout."

"That doesn't matter, Martin. Did you see a girl with pink eyes?" Raiko asked.

Gael added, "And long black hair?"

Martin thought for a moment. "A girl with pink eyes… Oh, I know who you mean. You're talking about Yshini. Yeah, she usually buys a slice of strawberry cake and some bread. She doesn't say much, though."

Raiko said, "Wow… interesting."

But Gael interjected, "That's not interesting! What we want to know is if she still comes here and if she's coming today."

Martin responded, irritated, "And why are you so worked up?"

Raiko chimed in, "Yeah, Gael, why are you so worked up? Sorry about him, Martin. It's been a rough few days for him."

Gael apologized, "Sorry, I had an awkward moment earlier…"

Martin continued, "Well, yeah, she still comes often in the evenings, sometimes around midday, usually three times a week."

Raiko thanked Martin for the information and ordered some food.

Raiko and Gael sat at a table, waiting for Yshini. Raiko told Gael, "Let's wait to see if she shows up. If not, we'll move on with tonight's mission."

Gael agreed, so they waited. Hours passed, and it became night. Raiko and Gael began to feel that she wouldn't show up.

Gael sighed. "Well, she's not coming. We'll try to find her another day. For now, we should—"

The sound of the door interrupted Gael. Both of them looked over and saw the same hooded girl Raiko had seen that day.

Raiko and Gael were stunned.

Raiko thought with confidence, It's her… it's… Yshini.