Junkyard
"I didn't recognize you... I was so rude."
"Uh-huh. We were the ones sneaking in. But you were super polite anyway, Agner."
The conversation had moved. No more dingy back alley reeking of stale sweat—just Agner's bright, tidy office. For a man with money, it was surprisingly spartan and neat. The bare minimum for getting work done, really. But a faint, luxurious fragrance hung in the air, and the oversized sofa was the most comfortable and plush Soo had ever sunk into. It screamed father who prioritizes his wife and daughter over himself.
That alone eased the wariness in everyone but Soo. Look around all you want—nothing but family-oriented touches. In a world where people turned even kin into tools if needed, a dad like this was a rare breed. They all knew it too well.
"Thank you for understanding. And... allow me to properly introduce myself again in this new setting. Thank you for saving me, my wife, and my daughter."
Agner bowed deeply, serving real brewed coffee and homemade cookies.
"...We just happened to pass by and help out."
Crunch crunch—as Soo started munching cookies, Enoch replied on her behalf.
"Seeing the three of you healthy is thanks enough."
"Humility is a virtue, but not right now. Lucy told me after the incident—you detoured from your way just to help us. We truly appreciate it."
"Ahem... well, yeah... it just kinda happened."
Genuine gratitude like this felt awkward. Sad truth, but Enoch was used to getting cursed to his face.
"I scoured everywhere to offer something in return, never dreaming I'd meet you like this."
Agner's wife, Iva Etherdam, sat beside him with a soft smile, handing over a business card. A rarity in this day and age. Only those too poor for digital creds or secure enough in their status to use paper.
Enoch and Frey gawked at the card. Even ever-calm Angela couldn't hide her surprise.
Eterno. The name alone conjured urban legends. A firm that fleeced the rich to aid the poor... a bizarre tale. Chilling even compared to rumors of a completed AI lurking under Northrica. What corp wasted cash on the weak? What scheme spread such gossip? Yet tales from actual beneficiaries proved it wasn't total bullshit. Still unbelievable. Hell, whispers claimed Eterno researched brains, brainwashing clients. But meeting the rep and family firsthand? The first rumor might be legit.
"Eterno..."
"No way... huge..."
Enoch and Frey couldn't even touch the card. Afraid it'd taint them. Soo, meanwhile, snatched it with cookie-crumbed hands. No pause in her munching—Lucy was feeding her.
"Hero sis! I made these cookies! Try 'em quick!"
"Not hero. Soo. Tastes bad. Not eating."
"Eek! But I made them?!"
Lucy wailed, but Soo didn't care. She ignored stares and judgments equally, kid or not. No mercy.
"Iva's are tastier."
"Mooom! Teach me cookies too!"
"Uh, sure... okay?"
Lucy's eyes welled up, but she stuck by Soo, feeding her. Occasionally shoving her own batch—Soo spat them out ruthlessly. Iva and Agner smiled wryly. Her bluntness shone in brief chats, but this? Next level.
"Iva seems nice."
"Th-thank you...?"
Such praise flustered Iva. Who complimented a law firm boss? Soo sounded like she'd pat her head if closer.
"That's why your junkyard gets bombed regularly."
"...Can't deny it."
Aiding the weak meant siding with them—and against the strong? Not in Eden. Weak vs. weak. The powerful ignored ants, no matter their protests. So enemies were fellow unfortunates—or criminals Eterno couldn't help.
"So you were working then?"
Their car had been a beat-up family hauler, safe but common in Southpeak. No Northrica flash. Bland clothes, cheap fabric softener scent. All to avoid prejudices.
"Yeah. Our work piles up in Southpeak and Westtown."
"Far."
"Gotta do it. Work."
"Call it work when it doesn't pay?"
"Feels rewarding."
Iva sipped coffee, continuing. "Bit awkward saying this, but we've made enough money. Law firms... you know. Now we want to share a little."
Sure, easy for the stuffed. But Iva's gentle laugh made her seem from another world. Stuffed folks don't share? Bull. Eden's elite hoarded for tomorrow, next week, afterlife. Yet here she was, content and generous. Nothing like the scum Enoch, Frey, and Angela knew. And exactly Soo's type.
"Cool."
Predictably, Soo's eyes sparkled; she sat up straight. Lucy mimicked her.
"Yeah! Mom's cool! Dad too! The sis who saved them is super cool!"
"Yeah. I'm cool."
Soo puffed her chest. Lucy seized the moment, cramming her cookie in. Soo's face scrunched. But she swallowed—the parents' mindset was sweeter than the horror.
"What do you do down south?"
"Mostly hear folks' stories. Video calls miss nuances."
"No guards?"
"Some hate barriers like that. So Agner got implants. Didn't... help much."
Family protection implants couldn't handle Luthien Chimeras. Yet Eterno persisted. Recent horrors hadn't stopped their aid. Enoch recalled a radio blurb from his car.
In games, it was just flavor lore.
Eterno: Useless fluff about good folks existing. But real? Game-changer. Eccentric owners in Eden? Endless potential.
"Iva."
"Yes?"
"You promised payback. How far you going?"
"Got something ready. Anything else later, as long as no crimes—we'll do our best."
Agner rose at her nod. Soo shook her head. Stuff was fine, but not now.
"Want something else."
"...Like?"
Third-rate mercs chase gigs. Second-raters clear them clean. First-raters invent and solve.
"Hand us your Southpeak and Westtown consults."
"...Pardon?"
"Far. Dangerous. We'll handle, forward to Eterno."
Iva tilted her head. Agner sat awkwardly, voicing doubt.
"...What's your gain? They can't pay proper."
"Rewarding."
Soo smirked faintly. Toppling megacorps needed force first—overwhelm their armies. But not most important.
"And connections."
People mattered most. Trustworthy allies, friends. Grateful indebteds. Humans couldn't run on machines alone. Needed other humans. Soo knew best.
"We're not bad guys."
Whispering suspiciously, Soo extended her hand.