As they stepped into the darkness, Koco clapped his hands. The lights flickered on, revealing an enormous room in complete disarray. Papers, tools, and half-finished projects littered the floor. The only clean areas were the mission table at the center of the room and a well-maintained sparring arena off to the side.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Koco said. "I'll set up the mission table."
"Y-yeah, sure," Ren replied.
"Is it always like this?" Carmen asked, staring around the room.
"Always like what?" Zee shot back. "What's wrong with my father's room, huh?"
"My room is not a mess," Koco said defensively. "It's—uh—a statement."
"Yeah," Ren smirked, "most slums look better than this place."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Koco muttered.
"Alright, gather around," Koco called out.
As they stepped closer to the table, all three froze. Displayed across the surface was the mission title:
Info regarding the white reaper
They exchanged uneasy glances. Too many others had failed to gather information on him.
"You're crazy if you—" Ren started.
"I'm sorry," Koco interrupted. "I was forced to do this by the Gigatara government. They made it clear that bad things would happen if I didn't send our best available hunters."
Ren sighed. "I get it. I'm just… mostly worried about Carmen and Zee."
"Yeah… I understand," Koco said. "Anyway, let's begin."
Mission Plan
Proceed to the center of Sector Three — the Mega Slums
Patrol and investigate areas associated with the White Reaper's territory
Gather as much information as possible
Return to HQ and report once sufficient intel is collected
"I want you to know," Koco added seriously, "if you're attacked by the Reaper for any reason, call me. I'll come help however I can."
"Yes, sir," they all replied at once.
"Good. Now what are you waiting for?" Koco snapped. "Go get packed."
"Alright, guys—let's go," Ren said.
"YES, SIR!" Zee and Carmen shouted in unison.
"Zee," Ren added, "meet us at the Academy station in five hours."
"Oookay! See you guys later—good luck, stay safe, have fun!" Zee waved enthusiastically.
"See ya!" Ren called.
"Bye, Zee," Carmen said softly.
Ren and Carmen headed back toward their apartment—a modest place with two beds and one bathroom on the twenty-first floor, right along the border between Sectors Three and Five. Along the way, they discussed contingency plans in case they encountered the White Reaper.
Most of those plans involved running.
And hiding.
Back at the apartment, Ren grabbed two handfuls of rings to resupply, just in case. After gathering the rest of their supplies, they returned to the Academy and boarded the train bound for the Giant Slums in the heart of Sector Three.
The moment they stepped off at the station, two figures blocked their path.
"Yo," said a man with a yellow mohawk and an electric guitar strapped to his back. "You know whose turf you just walked into, right?"
"You must not know who you're talking to," Ren replied coldly. "We're bounty hunters on a mission."
"Hm," said a large bald man with a curly mustache. "Boss did say three bounty hunters would arrive around this time."
"Who?" Ren asked sharply. He glanced to his side. "Carmen, Zee—get ready."
"Do we have to fight them?" Zee asked nervously.
"Yes," Carmen said firmly. "Sadly, we do."
"Bring it on, then," the mohawk guy sneered.
"Bom," the larger man growled, "are we really gonna let them talk to you like that?"
"Shut your fat face, Mob," Bom snapped.
"Let's curb-stomp them"