CH43:FIRST MISSION

[6:00 PM]

[Location: Somewhere in Desper.]

The three teens, Dezhong, Krista, and Jamal, went over their plan once more before heading out to Central Desper's outskirts. This was their plan: One of the Gorillas infiltrating the other gangs informed Kong that there was going to be a small meeting amongst their leaders where they'd discuss dethroning the Gorillas as the biggest and most powerful gang of them all. Those expected to attend the meeting were leaders of the Serpents, Cold Flames, and The Alteca, who were known to rival each other more than the Gorillas did with the Dragons. Seeing how they were willing to work together bothered Kong a little bit.

Not wanting to leave Eastern Desper, Kong decided to let his three newest inner circle members complete their first mission. With the location of the meeting given, the three teens set out, with Jamal assuming the role of leader.

"Let's get a move on. We don't want to end up being late, do we?" Jamal questioned as the three of them ran to the nearest bus station, hoping to catch the last bus leaving for the city.

"Who made you the leader, tin arms?" Krista mocked as Dezhong laughed. "We know the mission, and no one decided to make you leader."

"Hey, the leader's the one who's strongest, and last time I checked, I'm stronger than both of you," Jamal bragged with a smug look of annoyance on his face.

"Oh please," Krista snapped, "I can take you on one on one. You're nothing with those cheap arms."

"Says the girl who got the sh*t knocked out of her," Jamal mocked with his arms folded. Krista folded her fists, and her teeth ground against each other. She angrily looked into Jamal's eyes and felt like plucking them out.

All of this happened while Dezhong thought of a way to complete his last daily quest. "I thought I'd hide in Hallow's Point and practice my night vision from there, but that's out of the equation now, and the city's too bright unless we end up in a dark place."

"If anyone among us is strong, it's Dezhong," Krista said while shaking her fists at Jamal. The two blasted senseless insults at each other for ten whole minutes right up until the last hover bus stopped at the stop.

"Let's get a move on." Jamal ordered. "We don't want to be…"

"Shut up and move." Krista and Dezhong pushed past Jamal and took their seats.

Since they were going to the city's outskirts, the three of them were dressed in dystopian attire to help them blend in easily and also hide their faces since the dress code covered a lot of skin.

"Let's go over the plan, one last time," Jamal commanded, but neither Krista nor Dezhong paid attention to him. "Hey, you two. Are you even listening to anything I'm saying?"

"You're making it hard for us not to." Krista cursed while sticking her fingers in her ears. "Listen Jamal. If you want us to 'follow your command,' try doing something that's worth being respectable. You're nothing but a show-off who's desperately trying to be Kong's pet."

After Krista's sharp words went through Jamal's ears, the rest of the trip was full of awkward silence and glares between both of them. As for Dezhong, he was more focused on finding a way to finish his daily quest so he'd get his daily experience points.

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[6:55 PM]

*Last stop for Central Desper.*

"Here we are," Dezhong spoke. "Crestwood. One of the many smaller towns on the outskirts of the city. We're an hour early and Kong's scout said that the meeting would be at a club called the Den."

"'These city folk sure know how to name places.'" Krista sarcastically mocked. "Let's get going. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can get home."

"Agreed!"

[8:00 PM]

[Location: Small town on the outskirts of the city]

The sun finally set in the dystopian city, giving way to the thick, choking haze that came every night. The air was bitterly cold and smelled of burned fat and hair, given that they were not so far from a plastic production plant.

Dezhong and Krista walked into the club as a young couple out on their first date, while Jamal remained outside on the rooftop of a salon across the street with a pair of binoculars. Dezhong and Krista were to stay inside and alert Jamal if they saw the three leaders of the other gangs.

"D and K, this is J. Any signs of the leaders?"

"All good on our side," Krista replied. "Doesn't seem like they're here yet. Also, who decided that…"

"Guys, three l cars just pulled up front," Dezhong interrupted, as he and the others witnessed three black sedans pull up in the front parking lot by the sidewalk. Each car had a personalized number plate with the insignia of the gangs their owners belonged to.

"I see three distinct number plates. SRPNT, CF, and Alteca," Jamal announced. "This must be them, right?"

"Sounds like it. They're coming out." From the sedan with the number plate, SRPNT emerged a tall, dark-skinned man wearing sunglasses and a black suit. From the sedan with the number plate, CF emerged a slightly shorter man with a slimmer build but had striking red hair with yellow trims, red eyes, and bandages wrapped around his arms. He was dressed in a black suit as well but his had a fire logo on his back. Lastly, from the sedan with the number plate, Alteca emerged a figure clothed in expensive leather trousers, boots and a large hood that concealed their face.

"Are you three seeing this?" Jamal asked while zooming in on the leader of the Cold Flames. "That man looks exactly like…"

"The fireman!!" Dezhong and Krista replied in shock. The fireman was a legend from over one thousand years ago who, with the help of his friends, saved the world from an event that would lead to the extinction of mankind. Like the Cold Flame leader, the fireman had striking red hair with yellow tips, red eyes, and was also a mutant whose abilities were producing flames.

"Is he a fan? He must be a fan of the fireman, right?" Krista kept asking.

"Krista, pay attention. They're heading your way. It's all up to you now," Jamal announced. "You're up, Krista."

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"Greetings. I believe we ordered a special room," the tall, dark-skinned man greeted with a proud, arrogant expression. "Would you be kind as to direct me to it?"

"R-right this way, s-sir," the waiter replied as he stuttered and shook in fear, knowing well who these three were. In fact, everyone else in the club noticed them, but no one dared to make eye contact or stand in their way. All except for Krista.

"Whoops!" she shrieked after bumping into the leader of the Alteca. As she did so, she slipped something into their many leather jacket pockets. "Terribly sorry, errr…"

"Do not speak to me, or I'll have your tongue cut off," the person under the hood spoke, but there was something odd with their voice. It was muffled like something was over their mouth and made their voice sound like a machine. "Get out of my way."

With just a flick of the wrist, Krista was knocked onto a table and nearly broke it in half. Dezhong wanted to get up and assist her but if he did, his cover would be blown and he knew very well he'd not be able to lay a finger on any of the three gang leaders, having seen how Krista was hit in one move.

"Phase One's complete," Krista said as she winced in pain. "It's your turn, Dezhong."