Black Truths

[Receiving Call: Unidentified...]

"Really..." he mutters to himself, wondering how many phones she'd klepped to keep calling his number. Maybe he should find some software that could ban her contact whenever she tried to call?

*Beep!*

"Will you stop calling my phone like some psycho stalker girlfriend!? I don't wanna fuckin' work for you, I don't wanna speak to you, I don't wanna even acknowledge your existence. Get it!?"

"Seriously Ori! I need your help! You're the only person I can trust here!" she pleads, desperation clear on her face.

"Fuck no-"

"Fifty thousand! I'll pay fifty K!" she blurts out, causing Ori's protestation to trail off.

...

"Fifty K? What kinda gig are you peddlin'? You want me to zero your boss or something!?"

"Ah..." she pauses, "Not quite...?"

"Well you gotta be pretty fucking convincing if you want me anywhere near you. What is it?"

Christy wets her lips and tentatively looks around the outside of her car, "My bandmates, I need you to get rid of them..."

Ori snorts, "Yeah, I should've expected that. One a rat always a rat, ain't that right?"

"No! It's me or them! They've been trying to get rid of me for a while now but I've finally had enough! A group of men got into my apartment and smashed it to pieces, they killed my cleaner too!"

"And you know for certain it was them, huh?" he asks, still dubious.

She nods determinately, "I do. I know it's them, I might not have proof but I don't need it, once they're gone the attacks will stop."

Ori leans back into his couch, "Why me? And don't think I believe that shit about 'trust', that ship got a Viking funeral."

"No, I mean it. You're the only one I can trust with this. Everyone else I can talk to might be on their payroll... You're the only one I know isn't with them."

"You 'know'?" he sarcastically asks.

She firmly nods, "I know. I watched you grow up, I understand how you work, even if I don't get why you think I'm such a 'murderous bitch'."

"People change. You of all people should know that." Ori replies with a slight scowl.

"No, they don't." Christy says with a sigh.

...

"Your 'contacts' found anything about my sis?" he can't help but ask, spite bubbling up from his chest.

She shakes her head, "No, sorry... I looked into it but apparently she was being held by the Tyger Claws, that's old news though..." she quietly admits.

Huh, so she did 'try'?... Or maybe it's still an act? Then again, there was that thing with Rogue, info that may reveal the truth of things. If he accepted then he could choose to zero Christy if she turned out to be what he thought. Plus, fifty K wasn't something to scoff at.

"I'll think about it. I'll contact you if I end up accepting." he decides.

"Be quick about it, I don't know how much time I have left..." she says as he ends the call.

*Beep!*

He rubs the bridge of his nose while mentally shooting Rogue a text.

[That info you have on Casinha, I'll buy it.] - Ori

...

[Was starting to think you didn't want it. Hit me up with ten K Eds and I'll send you a shard.] - Rogue

[Ten K!? It was six last time!] - Ori

[Yeah, well, you know how it is. Supply and demand.] - Rogue

[Fine, have your fucking eddies. Bitch.] - Ori

[-10000§]

[Love you too, Zombie. A bot's in transit with your package, just leave a window open or something.] - Rogue

...

[You know where I live...?] - Ori

[I know where your friend's cat shits. That a surprise?] - Rogue

[Youknow, when I called you a bitch, I meant that in a 'big-sister' kinda way...] - Ori

[Funny, now fuck off and let me work.] - Rogue

*Beep*

"I get how she knows the apartment, but the fact that Sasha had a cat? Does she keep an eye on all of our transactions or something? Does she call Sasha if she forgets to buy cat food or some shit!?

*Thud*

Ori's hand automatically draws his revolver and aims it at the window, where a robot was continually pushing itself against the glass, trying to find entry. "That... Was quick."

He opens a panel and allows the flying robot inside, watching as it drops a small parcel on the sofa before then crashing into the window again. "Is the AI designated 'House Fly' or something?" he mutters to himself, opening yet another panel to let it leave.

"Alright, let's see what Rogue had..." he opens the parcel and inserts the chip after performing a preliminary virus check. His eyes flash with data for a couple minutes, eventually leaving him with a prominent scowl. "What... What the fuck...?"

"This..." he runs a hand through his hair, "No... All-, all for nothing then? Just a huge bunch of coincidences!?"

The information held in the shard was as convoluted as it was simple. Among the gangs there, only a single group had actually been there for Casinha. The Animals, Tyger Claws, and Maelstrom, only the Tygers had actually been there for the Shanty Town.

The reason? To help Arasaka install a FUCKING SUBWAY SYSTEM! One to ship cargo to and from the Shipyard and other places. They'd planned to destroy the whole place just for that reason, because they couldn't be fucked to dig out another tunnel...

The worst part about all of it? Maelstrom, Casinha's everpresent enemies, had been the ones to turn up in defence of the place. They were defending their turf, their property, what they saw as their people.

As for the Animals? Well, he hadn't been completely wrong in his judgment. They were there for Christy, hired to abduct her apparently.

Didn't that sound familiar...

That crazy old man had nothing to do with any of it, it wasn't retaliation for what Ori had done... The Animals moved in to try and extract Christy, who'd not turned up that day. The Tygers had taken the opportunity to raze the settlement, and Maelstrom had attempted to defend it.