New Fears

Reid didn't hesitate. This wasn't the hesitant flicker of power from yesterday; this was a surge. He pivoted, driving his bracer-shield forward with a guttural cry. The stored kinetic energy from Kargan's own monstrous punch detonated outward.

Kargan, still reeling from the deflection, was caught full force. He flew backward, crashing through a row of dilapidated seats with the sound of splintering wood and a grunt of expelled air. He landed in a heap, momentarily stunned.

The two thugs behind Kargan were still recovering from the initial shockwave. Now was his chance. One lunged with a lead pipe, the other brandishing a knife, but their earlier confidence was gone, replaced by stunned disbelief.

The pipe swung down. Reid reacted faster this time, more decisively. He angled his bracer, meeting the pipe head-on. CRACK! The force ripped the pipe from the thug's grasp and sent it spinning across the corridor. The thug yelped, clutching his suddenly numb hands.

The knife-wielder hesitated, but still lunged towards Reid's exposed side. Reid twisted, but the alley was too cramped. He couldn't fully evade. The blade flashed – and sliced.

Forcing himself to move thorough the pain, Reid launched himself forward, channeling the residual reflective energy into a brutal elbow strike. He targeted the thug's throat. THUNK. The man gasped, eyes bulging, and crumpled to the floor, clutching at his Adam's apple, winded and gagging.

Kargan was struggling to his feet, a look of bewildered rage contorting his face. "What the hell…?"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Reid bolted.

By luck or pure terror-driven speed, he reached the perimeter fence. It was tall, chain-link, topped with barbed wire, but part of it sagged near a rusted support beam. He squeezed through a gap at the base, ignoring the wire scraping his backpack. Gasping, he rolled onto the sidewalk beyond.

The system chose that moment to disturb him.

[User too weak to maintain the first mirror: Refraction of Motion. Suggest the user to train and increase the soul force.]

"Don't I know that?" Reid snarled. If methods to train and increase soul force were so easy to acquire, he wouldn't be in the current situation.

As usual, whatever the thing in his head did not deign to respond but it did give him a pleasant surprise. A string of text followed it's utterance.

[SHATTERED GATE]

[HOST]: Reid Eulison

[RANK]: Awakened

[SOUL FORCE]: 1/100

[MIRRORS]: Refraction of Motion

[REFLECTIONS]: None

[ESSENCE]: Locked

[CHAOS CORE]: Locked

"What is all of this?" he muttered. There was too much information on it, much of it unknown to him. The secrets of the awakened were not something a slum rat like him had access to. But one line caught his attention, leaving him breathless.

[RANK]: Awakened

A grin started forming on his face. Him? An awakened? Before he could revel in the feeling, a sharp sound from behind made him flinch. He was not out of hot waters yet. Coming back to his senses, he continued running and didn't stop till he'd put another couple blocks between himself and the train yard.

Blood stained his hoodie, a searing ache reminding him of the danger. He forced himself to calm down, breathing in ragged gulps. People on the street gave him a wide berth—nobody wanted to get involved.

He glanced at the cloth-wrapped board. Still with him, though it had some dust and a tiny smear of his own blood. He clenched it in a shaking grip. "All that for one board," he muttered bitterly, though relief flickered in his eyes. The Stonefang guys were tough, but the bracer was enough to let him slip away.

He needed medical attention. The cut wasn't deep, but it could still get infected. He knew a free clinic nearby, though it was run by an overworked staff who asked too many questions. Maybe a discreet pharmacy instead. But that required money, which he was short on. Another problem to solve.

He cursed under his breath. "First Redwood, then a bandage," he decided. He didn't want to lose momentum—what if Stonefang regrouped and found a new ambush spot?

He hopped on a bus, attracting some stares for his disheveled appearance. Finding an empty seat at the back, he tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. 

He arrived at Marvello's Tech nearly an hour later, limping slightly. Jacky looked up from behind the counter, eyes going wide at the sight of his bloodstained hoodie. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Stonefang. They found me. I got away." Reid spoke in ragged gasps, holding up the board. "Here. One piece, like you asked."

Jacky exhaled, snatching the board. "Crap. They're onto you, huh?" She quickly examined the circuit, her expression shifting from worry to interest. "This is legit, no question. Redwood might pay big if the rest are in similar condition."

"Did you contact them?"

She hesitated, glancing at his wound. "I did, yeah. They want to meet. But not here—they chose an abandoned warehouse near the riverside, District Three territory. Tonight, nine p.m."

Tonight. District Three was a step up from the slums, but still rough. "Alright," he said. "I'll be there."

Jacky grimaced. "Listen, Redwood doesn't like dealing with kids. They'll expect you to show them the whole stash or give them a reason to trust you. And they'll definitely try to lowball you if you show weakness." She eyed his bloody hoodie. "Which you're kind of radiating right now."

"Thanks for the tip," Reid muttered, pain flaring. "I have no choice. I need Redwood's muscle to keep Stonefang off me."

She nodded, handing the board back. "I told Redwood to expect about a dozen boards. That right?"

He nodded. "Twelve good ones."

She lifted an eyebrow. "They'll want them all, guaranteed. If you try to hold back, they'll sense it." Then she sighed, turning away. "Look, I don't want any trouble, so keep me out of it as much as possible. I'm only setting the meet."

He felt a pang of gratitude despite her brusque manner. "Thanks," he whispered. "I owe you." Then, pressing a hand to his wound, he stepped back. "Now I gotta fix myself up before the meeting. Got any bandages?"

Jacky rolled her eyes but rummaged under the counter, producing a small first-aid box. "Here. Don't bleed on the merchandise."

He gave a half-smirk. "Understood." He retreated to a corner, gingerly lifting his shirt to clean and bandage the knife cut. A hiss of pain escaped his lips. It looked worse than it was, but any infection in these filthy districts could be fatal if left untreated. He used antiseptic wipes and gauze, ignoring how it stung like fire.

Afterwards, he checked the time on a small digital display near the store window: already noon. That left him nine hours to retrieve the rest of the boards, get them to District Three, and hopefully avoid Stonefang ambush. The odds made him want to laugh or cry.

He faced Jacky. "I'll bring them all to Redwood. But I might need to hire a small crew or something for protection." He paused, meeting her gaze. "Any ideas?"

She snorted. "Protection costs. You said you're broke, right? Redwood might cut you a deal by offering you safe passage if you promise them a chunk of profit. But then your cut gets smaller." She flicked her goggles up. "Kid, you're in way over your head."

"Tell me something I don't know." Despite his sarcasm, fear churned inside him. This was probably the biggest gamble of his life. But if Redwood accepted the boards, he could get a decent chunk of credits, maybe enough to leave District Five behind for good—or at least settle some debts.

With a grunt, Reid shouldered his rucksack again, wincing. "Thanks for the bandages. I'll see you at the meet." He turned to go.

"Wait," Jacky called, surprising him. She tossed him a small stun baton from a shelf. "Take it. My old sidearm. Not too powerful, but might scare off a punk or two."

A flicker of gratitude lit Reid's eyes. "Appreciate it. I'll pay you back."

She scoffed. "Sure, sure."

With that, he stepped out into the dusty street, the baton tucked inside his hoodie. Another weapon might keep Stonefang at bay, or at least give him some confidence. But if the Shattered Gate's bracer manifested, that alone could tip the balance in a fight—assuming it responded. He had nine hours to pull this off.

He exhaled, heading toward the bus stop. "No rest for the desperate," he murmured. Tonight, everything would change again, for better or worse.