"Karl, you're here too?" "Karl, you came?" Brown and Andy spoke at the same time, both startled to hear each other say the same thing. They
"Karl, you're here too?" "Karl, you came?" Brown and Andy spoke at the same time, both startled to hear each other say the same thing. They
"Karl, you're here too?"
"Karl, you came?"
Brown and Andy spoke at the same time, both startled to hear each other say the same thing. They turned and looked at one another.
Then, in near-perfect unison again, they said:
"You know Karl?"
"You two know each other?"
Karl laughed as he walked up to them. "What a coincidence."
"We used to work together back in my mercenary days," Andy nodded toward Karl. "Didn't expect the world to be this small—so you know Brown too?"
"Most of us mercs came up through Afterlife. The circle's not that big," Brown replied. He glanced over Karl, who was dressed in a formal suit, and commented, "Looks like you're here as a guest tonight."
That made sense. Both Andy and Brown were wearing looser, more combat-suitable outfits—when compared to Karl's suit, it was clear who was playing what role this evening.
"Andy, you're here guarding Mr. Johnson," Karl noted. "And judging by your getup, Brown, that must mean..."
"Kerry's here too?" Karl asked.
Brown and his squad currently worked as Kerry Eurodyne's bodyguards. If Brown was here, Kerry couldn't be far.
"Kerry's performing as one of the opening acts for the banquet," Brown confirmed.
"Didn't expect him to accept Hansen's invitation. I thought this kind of gig wasn't his style."
"His agent accepted it. Kerry wasn't thrilled about it," Brown said, glancing around the venue. "Still, this place is packed. I figured he'd be the only celebrity here, but I'm seeing all kinds of big names—folks I've only seen on holos before."
"And not just celebs," Andy added. "Mr. Johnson's here, the Animals showed up, I even spotted some 6th Street guys earlier. Usually these people are throwing down the moment they cross paths, but tonight, they're all just chatting like old friends. It's kind of surreal."
"Well, the street's not always about bloodshed," Karl said. "Gangs fight over turf for a reason—to create stable channels of income."
As Karl chatted with Andy and Brown, he heard the distinct sound of someone approaching.
What made it obvious was the cadence—deliberate, direct, and steady. Whoever it was, they were headed straight for him.
He turned.
So many familiar faces tonight.
"Karl, I didn't think it'd actually be you."
Dressed in a simple pale red evening gown, Blanca stood before him, a drink in one hand.
"Blanca," Karl nodded politely.
The good news: he now confirmed that Militech had indeed sent someone.
The bad news: that someone was Blanca.
Noticing the woman's familiarity with Karl, Brown and Andy exchanged glances and tactfully stepped away to give him some privacy.
After the two moved off, Blanca gave Karl a once-over, her eyes lingering on his face. "So... who are you here representing tonight?"
"Can't I just be here on my own behalf?"
"If you wanted to, I'm sure Kurt Hansen wouldn't mind welcoming you as a personal guest. But... that's not your style."
"You know me pretty well," Karl said honestly. "I'm here on behalf of Arasaka."
"Arasaka?"
As the name—one etched deep into the minds of any Militech personnel—left Karl's lips, Blanca's brows immediately furrowed. But after a long moment, she relaxed and smiled faintly.
"So the paycheck must be a fat one."
"It is," Karl admitted. "In fact, it's the highest-paying gig I've ever taken."
"Then," Blanca said, "I'm guessing you already figured out why I'm here."
"To sabotage the negotiations, make things harder for Arasaka."
"Wrong," she said, suddenly grinning. "I'm just here to attend a party... and watch my dear rival try to take down her target."
"Take down a target?" Karl narrowed his eyes. "You're not Militech's lead tonight?"
"C'mon," Blanca chuckled. "You think they'd hand a top-tier op involving Arasaka to someone who's only been a department head for three months?"
Any job involving Arasaka was a major score for Militech—and vice versa. There was always a race to grab those assignments. Since Kenichi Hoya had been promoted to director at Arasaka following his uncle's appointment as VP of Arasaka Tower, it made sense Militech would send someone of equal rank. Blanca wasn't on that level—yet.
"So your original plan was to interfere with the deal..."
"That's not my job," she cut in. "If I made a move and got caught betraying Militech's interests, that'd be a death sentence. I'm just here to see if my rival can pull it off. If she does? I'll back off and let her have the spotlight—for now. But if she fails, especially in a deal with Arasaka? Then I'll... let's say I'll be ready to make a move. Loyalty and competence matter in our line of work. If she's lacking both, she doesn't belong in that seat."
Karl rolled his eyes. "Coming from someone who used to leak transport routes before you even got promoted... saying words like 'loyalty' is a bit rich."
"So you're just here to watch the fireworks?" he added.
"What else can I do?" Blanca said with a shrug. "But now that I know you're the Arasaka rep... I can finally relax. Time to make my next moves."
"You really trust me to pull this off?" Karl asked. "What if I mess up and your arch-nemesis lands the deal instead? You counting on my 100% success rate?"
"Of course not," Blanca said, stepping forward and tapping a finger against the lapel of his suit. "I just believe in the guy who's never let me down. The same Karl who couldn't even grab a bite on the street without getting jumped."
"Oh, give me a break," Karl groaned.
"So, your nemesis is the one leading the Militech op tonight?"
"Let's call her... the last hurdle before I move up."
"Well," Karl smirked, "since we're already going head-to-head—guess I'll do you a little favor."
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