East side of Cardio City. Random café.
The late afternoon sun slanted through the café windows. Steam rose from mismatched mugs clustered on a large, circular table near the back. Uma, Vecro, and a bunch of Arcane Keepers members – Fiona, Gloria and Hairo, were sitting at one table, their postures a mix of weariness and restless energy. The clatter of dishes and low murmur from other patrons formed a constant background hum.
"Damn, those two really know how to hide!" Uma said, slumping back in her chair, frustration etching lines on her face. Her fingers tapped an impatient rhythm on the scarred wood. "No matter what we do, we can't find them at all!"
Vecro sat straighter, his expression thoughtful as he scanned the faces around the table. He stirred his coffee slowly, the spoon clinking softly against the ceramic. "This is a little bit strange, though," Vecro said. His gaze settled back on Uma. "They've been able to stay hidden for so long. How did they manage to find a place to hide, how they found food, and clothes? It's almost obvious that someone helped them."
Fiona leaned forward slightly, her brow furrowed. "But who?" Fiona asked.
Vecro shrugged, a small, almost imperceptible movement of his shoulders. He took a careful sip from his mug. "Who knows? Maybe an old friend?"
Gloria shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing between Vecro and Uma.
"But haven't you guys already checked their friends and family?" she asked.
"We did," Uma said, sighing heavily. She ran a hand through her green hair, the gesture conveying deep exasperation. "And it's unlikely they helped them. But..."
"They might have friends or acquaintances we know nothing about," Vecro said, finishing the thought for her. He placed his mug back down with deliberate calm. "Anyway, it's certain that we're dealing with more than just Zell and Lilian."
Hairo, who had been quietly observing, cleared his throat. His eyes held a calculating look. "Capturing them is going to be hard if they don't even show their faces," Hairo said. "What are we going to do now? Change the target?"
"Good question," Uma said.
"We might have no lead on those two," Hairo said. He gestured vaguely towards the window, indicating the city beyond. "But news about Serpent's Slaughter members arriving here is all over the place. Why don't we try to capture them instead?"
Gloria's expression tightened immediately, concern clouding her features.
"But do we even want to antagonize them right now?" Gloria asked, her voice dropping slightly. "They were a big criminal group, right? Can we even handle them when we failed to win against a smaller group like Joker Roulette?"
Uma shot Gloria a sharp look, her earlier spark flaring into irritation.
"Hey, now, why are you being so negative?" Uma said. "It's problematic if someone in the justice side is scared of criminals!"
Gloria flinched slightly but met Uma's gaze. Her voice remained steady, though quieter.
"Well, I was just stating my opinion," Gloria said.
Vecro held up a placating hand, his gaze shifting between the two women.
"And you're not wrong," Vecro said, acknowledging Gloria. His tone was measured. "I agree with you. The ones running around are most likely their weakest members. It's easy for us to capture them." He paused, his expression turning graver. "But the problem is after that. Can we handle them if their whole group decides to attack us?"
Fiona visibly swallowed, her eyes widening slightly at the implication. The tension around the table thickened.
"I guess not," she said, her voice small. She looked from Vecro to Uma. "But are we going to just let them do whatever they want? Why are they here anyway?"
Vecro took another slow sip of his coffee, using the moment to gather his thoughts. He placed the mug down deliberately.
"Well, at first, their goal was looking for potential new members, I guess," Vecro said. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "But looking at their numbers now, it's more likely they were looking for a fight."
Fiona leaned in too, captivated. "But with who?" Fiona asked.
"Remember those two guys from before who helped Bog?" Vecro said, prompting the memory. His eyes scanned the group, ensuring they recalled the incident. "After we captured Bog, we checked the surroundings and found out that one of them was dead, and the other had his hand cut off. We brought back the corpse and the hand at that time."
Understanding dawned on Fiona's face, her earlier confusion clearing. "So they're connected?" Fiona said.
Hairo nodded slowly, connecting the dots Vecro was laying out.
"That makes sense," Hairo said. "They introduced themselves from Serpent's Slaughter to both of you, right?"
Uma let out a derisive snort, a harsh sound in the tense air.
"That's true," she said.
Another member, T, sitting slightly apart, gave a single, silent nod of confirmation.
Hairo continued, building the case. "And this happened right after that," Hairo said, gesturing vaguely to encompass the current situation. "It's easy to imagine that they are trying to get revenge."
"Joker Roulette," Vecro said, the name dropping like a stone into the conversation. He took a deliberate drink of his coffee, his eyes distant for a moment, recalling the chase. "When we were chasing after Bog, I was sure Joker Roulette was chasing after those two."
"Really?" Uma said, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. She searched her own memory, coming up blank. "I didn't notice."
Vecro gave her a dry look, a hint of exasperation in his tone. "You just didn't pay attention," Vecro said.
Fiona's expression shifted, a glimmer of hope appearing. "But if both of the groups are fighting with each other," Fiona said, tentatively, "isn't that good for us?"
Uma grinned. "Yes, we should just let them be," she said, leaning back again, a new strategy forming. "Whoever loses is still a win for us."
Vecro nodded slowly, the pragmatic strategist aligning with the aggressive approach.
"True, even if we decide to get involved with them, it's better for us to wait for now," Vecro said, his gaze sweeping the table to include everyone.
"But the problem is after that, right?" Hairo said, his finger tracing a pattern on the table. "After one side wins, what are we going to do?"
Uma's grin widened, showing teeth. Her voice was decisive. "They will obviously be weakened," Uma said, her fist lightly thumping the table for emphasis. "We should just capture them, whatever the risk."
Vecro nodded again, a firm agreement. "It's a waste to let this chance go by," he said, his own resolve hardening. He looked around at the group. "But we need a better plan."
Uma snapped her fingers, a sudden idea brightening her features. "Anyway, what about Jasper?" Uma said. "He's better at making plans, right? We should just ask him to do it."
Hairo pulled out his phone, the screen glowing in the dim light. He swiped and tapped briefly, checking a message.
"It seems that his business with the government is done," Hairo said, looking up from the device. A small smile touched his lips. "And... he will be back today."
"Great!" Uma said, her relief palpable. She stretched her arms above her head, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Then we just need to wait for him! We're not going to move right away anyway, right?"
Vecro nodded, a sense of temporary reprieve settling over him. He picked up his coffee mug once more.
"And the other thing we need to take into account," he said, his voice lowering slightly as he introduced a new layer of complexity. He looked at each member in turn, ensuring they grasped the wider implication. "We don't know what the other two groups will do. Iron Maiden and Twisted Fire." He paused, letting the names hang in the air. "I heard some of their members were already here, so it's possible they will join the fight too."
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