Joining the Team
“Looking for an office?”
Soo, walking hand-in-hand with Angela, nodded while slurping at her soft serve cone. “Yeah. Somewhere I can wash up.”
Whenever someone asked if she was looking for an office, Soo always emphasized somewhere I can wash up. It was impossible to go to a bathhouse every time she needed to clean herself. Bathhouses required stripping naked, which would expose her tail completely. And finding a place to wash up was pretty much the same as finding a place to do it.
Angela's round eyes narrowed in an instant. Her sharp gaze stabbed straight at Enoch. “No, it's not like that. Misunderstanding. I'm innocent. Even if I could do something like that with a thunderbolt li—like her... I wouldn't.”
Enoch liked big people. ...All of them.
“Hmm... sorry for jumping to conclusions.”
Now that she thought about it, yeah, that made sense. Enoch looked way stronger just based on appearances, but reality was the exact opposite.
Angela swallowed a sigh of relief and turned back to Soo. Her eyes were still a bit sharp. “Soo.”
“Yeah.”
“Enoch isn't even your real brother, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you can't sleep in the same room. If this were Northrica, the ECPD might drag you off.”
“Got it.”
Before, they'd shared a room to save every credit, but now they had enough leeway to rent separate ones. Soo nodded obediently.
Only then did Angela's eyes soften. “Let's look for the office together with my sister. She's seen a lot, so she knows how to haggle.”
“Cool if we go together. No need to haggle.”
“Soo. Do you know the one thing you absolutely shouldn't do in Eden?”
“Trust people?”
“Right. Especially salespeople.”
“I know.”
“But still no haggling?”
Soo took a big bite of her soft serve and nodded. “Grandpa introduced me to a broker.”
“Grandpa?”
Angela's gaze flicked to Enoch. It felt like she looked to him for Soo's translations every time. But this time, no complaints. Enoch wanted to say this himself.
He glanced around needlessly and straightened his shoulders a bit more. “Salvador sir made the introduction.”
“...Connector Salvador Ortega?”
“Yes. Salvador sir.”
Not 'Connector, Salvador Ortega'—but sir. Enoch answered casually, but there was a subtle brag woven in.
“Th-that, uh... what...?”
A crack appeared in Angela's usual composed expression.
“...Have we been apart that long?”
“Less than a month, I recall.”
“Right... less than a month.”
The ECPD's natural predator. Ruler of Westtown. Connector of connectors. Salvador, called by countless epithets, was a massive figure. Mercs risked their lives just for a word with him. Sharing a coffee if things went well made it the best day of your life; eating a meal together... well, no need to say more.
And they'd connected with a titan like that in under a month?
“Was his job...?”
“Just wrapped it up yesterday.”
Jobs wrapping yesterday... Angela blinked, her mind racing through recent incidents. Ones worthy of someone like Salvador.
She lowered her voice to a whisper. “...Don't tell me it was Viktor Kral?”
Enoch's eyes turned to Soo. She nodded without hesitation. They were a team now, after all. Even if not, she'd have spilled anyway.
“Yes.”
“My god.”
Angela's wide eyes darted between Enoch and Soo. They were famous, sure. In Southpeak, almost no one hadn't heard of Noise. She'd even gotten a wanted poster for Noise once. 50 million credits per entity. 30 million bonus for two kills.
But that was Noise's fame, not theirs. And even that paled against mercs who took Salvador's jobs.
What the hell...
What had happened in that month to forge a connection with Salvador—and land a gig?
Angela stared at Soo with eyes full of intrigue, curiosity, and shock. “Even if I searched, nothing comes up?”
“Dunno... Sis never looked, so who knows. Snooping without permission is rude.”
“Search away. Hell, I want you to.”
Curiosity flickered in Soo's eyes as she took the last bite of her soft serve. “Wonder how far you can dig, Angela.”
“Hmm... just a little peek, then?”
“Yeah.”
Soo took the drink Enoch had bought and handed it to Angela. Info on Soo and Enoch—or Noise—and Salvador wasn't on the public net. Deeper. What folks called the Abyss. Accessing it meant cranking neural compute, which boiled your body with heat. The drink was a small gesture. It wouldn't cool the fire, but intent mattered.
“Heh, thanks.”
Clink clink—ice cubes rattled.
Letting go of Soo's hand, Angela gripped it with both hands and blinked three times. Her ocular implants flashed blue. Casual outing today, so no cooling suit—heat hit fast. In under three seconds, hot steam visibly rose. Five seconds later, her sweat-soaked shirt clung tight, and the blue light faded.
“Haa...”
She chugged the now-warm drink with melted ice and burst out laughing. Couldn't reach the Abyss core, but it was enough.
“You two pulled off something insane?”
A site needing a full Talos squad—where the riot team deemed the test subject unkillable—wiped out in 19 seconds. To save a random family, no less.
“Impressive.”
Angela meant it. But it wasn't enough. Mercs risking it all for a family? Noble tale. But Salvador was a connector. Needed something special to catch his eye.
...The magic Soo mentioned?
Or did their actions hit some nerve? Maybe both?
Enoch, reunited after nearly a month, had a new glow. Like the faint light she'd glimpsed when first seeing Soo. Invisible to the eye, but magnetically pulling... like Eden's moonlight.
“Timing's suspicious... Asking to join right after connecting with Salvador Ortega.”
“It's fine.”
“You trust sis that much?”
“Yeah. Enoch too.”
She shot Enoch a right? look. He'd turned his back, lighting a smoke he never lit around Soo.
“Enoch?”
“...I trust her.”
“Look people in the eye when you talk.”
“I said I trust her. Finish this smoke, then we'll go. Wait—no.”
Tsking, Enoch—ears red—shrugged off his coat and handed it to Angela. Eyes still averted.
“P-put this on.”
“Oh...”
Soo, getting it, gasped. Now noticing Angela's state. Sweat-drenched clothes clinging. Mint bra visible through beige shirt.
“Whoa...”
Soo's eyes rolled. Angela alternated glances between beet-red Enoch and trembling-eyed Soo, then cracked up.
“Soo, we're both girls—what's with the blush? Want sis to hold you?”
“N-no... I'm good.”
“Nuh-uh.”
Ignoring the headshake, Angela smooshed Soo's face into her chest.
“Mmf.”
Breathing out yielded a moist, plush sound. And a damn good scent.
*****
Wearing Enoch's coat, Angela popped into a shop for a new shirt. Enoch gaped as she bought without checking prices. With 150 million credits fresh, he'd grinned over luxury sausage and beer he never splurged on. Angela dropped tens of thousands on a pretty shirt. Bought some for Soo and Enoch too—no price check. Two million credits. Spent that much without blinking, all smiles.
Girls take forever shopping, right? Not Angela. Grab everything that catches the eye—done quick.
“Wear the clothes sis bought from now on. Got it?”
“Hood covers it anyway.”
No matter how pretty, tail cover meant big hood for Soo. No complaints. If anything, pity for folks missing this awesome tail.
“Like wearing pretty undies.”
“Ah.”
Angela's lingerie was gorgeous. Head-sized cups with lace or whatever—stunning.
Enoch, thinking the same, averted eyes and thanked her. “I'll... wear it well.”
“Yeah, looks good on you. Anyway, Enoch, how about dropping the formal talk?”
“Uh... how old are you?”
Angela's eyes widened, then she giggled. “What, you think I'm that old to ask?”
Smiling, but Enoch's spine chilled. Wrong answer, and he'd suffer forever...
“Twenty?”
Young guess. Face alone screamed early twenties.
“Hehe, sold. I'm twenty.”
“R-right, uh, okay. Casual it is.”
“Angela, last time Enoch asked if you were twenty-seven.”
Enoch's eyes bulged. Angela's smile-only face met his head-on.
“Enoch?”
“We're here.”
Enoch pushed past into the building. Prime real estate even for Westtown. Fitting for a broker tied to Salvador.
Front desk: two polite androids. Behind, a majestic tiger. Cyber-tiger, blending beast and machine flawlessly.
“Neonic-owned, huh.”
Neonic hallmark.
“But feels... off.”
Angela tilted her head, scanning.
“Yeah.”
Noisy for Neonic. Open to all, but not casual traffic—should be quieter.
“Let's check it out.”
Enoch crossed the lobby to the open elevator. Floor 41. Blazing speed. Glass back let them watch the shrinking world.
“You can see this anytime if you want—why so fun?”
“View from up high versus elevator feels different.”
“...If you say so.”
Enoch couldn't relate—only been sky-tossed by Soo once, forcibly.
Passing floor 30.
Ding—Soo's headset chimed. Video call.
“Hey, Grandpa.”
“Nope.”
Angela swallowed hard at Salvador's gruff voice. Enoch craned to peek at his expression. Not pleased.
“Nope. Enoch's ride got jacked—hunted all night.”
“Yeah, got him trunk-tied now.”
“Yeah.”
Enoch nodded frantically. Angela's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Sounds good. I'm in.”
The doors slid open as she spoke.
ECPD swarmed the hall. Neonic staff greeted the trio.