The right look or simply looking ‘good enough’ look was the least of my problems once we got out of the motel.

It was rather easy to figure out where the centre of operations for Invincibills gang was. It’s all strategy really, when you’re expanding your territory so it’s rather inevitable that any person with a couple working brain cells would be able to put together where the centre, the nucleus of said expansion was from.

It’s clear to see on the environment too, some stores prosper from being so close to the centre and are usually filled with the gang members, others much farther away have civilian patrons and are a lot less managed and successful with the money haulers.

Believe it or not, gangbangers in this city are an essential part of boosting the local economy, particularly having a large base of gangbangers as your customers more or less guarantees you’ll be having an income for so long as you don’t cross them.

Invincinbill, Steve, Lynx and any gang leader worth his salt and trying to make some dough will tell his loyal minions how important it is not to steal from stores within their territory.

As it is simply stealing from yourself.

Now outside the territory, well, that’s a different case entirely. And it seems like everyone understands this concept of internal growth and external robbery very well because that’s exactly what cause majority of the fights that start up on the streets.

However, it still fails to explain just what Lynx was doing so far away from the real goodies in Invincibill’s territory when he threw that man into our motel room.

I let out an exasperated sigh and resign not to think too much about it, and rather pour my focus into the fact that we’ve still yet to gain access to the centre.

The true centre.

We may have found the centre by peeking into stores and counting the number of colours, but Paige has begun to whine.

“Vern, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” She huffs, her hands shoved in her coat pockets and swinging about for warmth, “It’s getting colder, Vern. Let’s stop by that noodles shop and order something spicy?”

I close my eyes and breath, “This is why I said you should have stayed back at the motel, room service.”

She snorts, “I doubt that place has room service and even if they did, they wouldn’t have spicy noodles on the menu.”

“Why not?”

She stares at me awkwardly, like she can’t believe I’m questioning something so commonly known.

“Well. It’s not commonly known that motels don’t have spicy noodles, if they don’t you can tell them to make you some, everyone knows how to make some spicy noodles.”

Turns out it is commonly known.

Spicy noodles are the life blood of Xoxia in theses cold seasons. Or rather, cold years. The city is unfortunate to be situated far up north of the country in a very snug place called forever frost.

The frost has been here for over twelve years and apparently, is a result of some villain. Some say it was a weather machine device, that some mad fellow wanted to send the world back to the ice age starting from poor Xoxia.

All these bio-terrorists.

Others say it was a meta, one of the strongest, metas and she killed over a hundred suppressors in her frost after they killed someone she loved.

It’s a classic folktale now and even some more crazies around the deep corners of the city worship her as a religion.

I say it’s just unwarranted trouble. I didn’t ask for this cold, but then again, I’ve never really known anything warmer. I see the glowing, golden sun that shines of the characters of Paige’s dramas and I can only wonder how sunlight feels without a cold break.

Though, it makes little sense how everyone forgot exactly what caused the frost when it only happened twelve years ago.

“Look, none of that matters right now, I found the centre like I said I would, I’ll find a way in like I said I would too.” With that I keep walking. I would have told her to go on without me or sent her back to the motel so she keeps warm but…

This place may be organized, but it is most definitely not safe. Even as we walk on the street now, I feel it, the many wandering, lustful, disgusting eyes that peer at her. I feel it and it makes my skin crawl.

It also doesn’t rightly help that we haven’t got any colours on either. Makes us an easier target, a general target.

No colour means you’re not protected by the gang, and with the police in this area in their pockets well…enough said.

This is why I’m eagerly looking for a weapons dealer. There were several near the motel, proudly flaunting their fine weapons, but those are knock-offs, second had products likely to catch in the middle of a firefight. Not a good thing.

The actual best should be near the centre. There should even be some brand-new tools.

I just need the bullets whereas Paige…well, maybe she’ll be able to handle a stun gun?

“So, what’s your brilliant plan for getting us in?” she shives beside me, exaggeratedly really.

“Since you can’t exactly point to the centre ‘centre’ like a building and be so sure that that’s where Invincibill sleeps, we’ll need to ask around,” I correct myself upon further review, “I’ll need to ask around, you just follow.”

“Wow.” She scoffs, “Looking for the leader of a gang by asking just about anyone in the street. Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn’t the cops, the suppressors even, think of that?”

I grab her hand, it’s quite warm for someone who’s shivering, “Trust me, the simplest answer is often the right one.”

She sighs and groans and moans and complains some more but follows me nonetheless.

Another thing I’ve been in search for is an actual gangbanger that doesn’t look positively insane.

I understand that their appearance doesn’t always speak for who they are or what problems they might have lying beneath the surface, but it just helps to look a bit normal sometimes.

Even if you might be the most insane of the pair.

It’s hard though, with a gang. Many of them have some sort of angry, constipated look as they watch you pass, like at any moment one or two of them could spring up and rush you.

Well, for the most part that is true, I’ve seen it happen.

But finally, after near an hour of searching and looking like a lost tourist, I find the man I’m looking for.

He’s dressed plainly, in black shirt and blue tight trousers. He’d be a civilian to the common eye if it weren’t for that little yellow band tied around his arm marking him as one of Invincibills men.

He must be new. I’m about to make his gangbanger career then.

I get rid of my grin and take Paige along with me as we cross the road to meet him, it looks like he’s headed somewhere, to one of the stores.

Shoot, gotta steal his attention.

“Paige, act natural.”

She smiles and I instantly regret my choice of words.

“You know what I mean, we don’t want this getting fucked up and we don’t want to chase him away either.”

“He’s a member or the gang, can he be chased away?” she argues.

I shrug, agreeing with her, it’s unlikely he’ll be so easy to run off. I mean, we’re just teenagers to his what? Late twenties?

Getting closer I prepare myself and a rather ignorant Paige for our ‘accidental’ encounter with our target.

Aaannnnddd now!

‘Accidentally bumping into him I huff and spew out a stream of apologies, Paige isn’t slow on the uptake either, quickly taking the man’s hands and shaking it as she too apologizes for the accident.

Whereas the man takes a single look at us two, a flash of irritation crosses his face but it disappears when he takes a second look and notices Paige’s chests.

Idiot.

“It’s alright, I’m fine, I’m fine.” He says, snatching his hand away. He huffs, taking one more look at Paige before deciding to walk away.

“Ah!” I step right in his path, stopping him in his tracks a second time, “I notice you’re part of…” I look left and right before dramatically whispering, “Invincibill’s crew.”

I make sure not to say gang unless I want to get punched in the face. There’s a lot of nuance to what these gangbangers prefer to be called, but crew seems to work for all.

He looks at me cautiously, his nostrils flaring as his heart rate begins to quicken no doubt.

I put on a smile and softly say, “Don’t worry, this is all for me but you’ll be getting most of the benefits.”

“What does that mean?” He grunts, hands shuffling in his pockets. The look on his baby face just says it all. He’s anxious.

He’s new and he didn’t join of his own volition.

“What do you want with the crew? I can get it for you.” I feel Paige’s questioning stare even without looking.

Now he scoffs, “You’re just a kid, do you have any idea what you’re talking about? Is that why you bumped into me?” He looks ahead, at his destination. “Look. I don’t have time to play games, out of my way.”

Putting on a front he brushes past us, eager to get moving.

“If you want money, I can get it for you.” I call out after him, he doesn’t react.

“If you want out!” He hesitates to take the next step and that’s all the confirmation I need, “I can get you out!”

He stands there for a moment. In the snow, his back on us and hands in his pockets.

I’m sure he’s going to turn bac- what! Why is he still walking?

“Hey!” I yell, he still walks, “You’re greedy aren’t you! If you want out and money. I can get it!”

At this point I’ve drawn some attention to myself and Paige, which is why she’s currently clinging to the sleeve of my jacket, chests pressed up against me.

Rather distracting.

But I won’t need my focus for much more as our target finally gives in and starts walking back hastily, aware of the eyes I’ve drawn with my screaming.

He grabs me by the collar, putting up yet another façade, “How?” he hisses, “How are you going to get me out and get me money. Actually, how do you even know I need this?”

Unfazed with Paige still on my arm, “Well, you told me.”

His eyes widen, but he lets go of my collar. “I’m interested, but…I can’t betray the gang.” As he says this his eyes shift to the side. He isn’t lying. He really wants to have it all.

The greedy bastard.

***
The bastard, greedy and skittish as he is, has taken us to a pub of all places.

A pub for members of the gang, all around us is yellow and automatic; the haul of firearms sitting in this pub alone could likely arm a platoon of actual soldiers.

But I suppose that’s why we’re here, the lingering threat of sitting in the midst of several people who won’t hesitate to blow out your brains is this greedy man’s reassurance that we aren’t something…suspicious.

Well, we’re already pretty suspicious I’d think.

Two teenagers in a pub with gangbangers and a ton of weapons, alcohol, sex and drugs?

I suppose in Xoxia this kind of sighting would be more norm than suspicious.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?” He starts, cutting to the chase, “And keep in mind I’m not selling you any secrets.” He warns sternly, his eyes still shifting about.

Yes, he still carries the risk of his ‘reassurance’ turning against him if a miracle occurs and they don’t blow out my brains before I spill the beans.

Or worse, if someone overhears our conversation.

But the latter is wholly unlikely given the music blasting over our ears forces us to lean in pretty close so we can hear what the other is shouting.

Though, that raises the question, is this a pub or a club?

Music blasting overhead, sex, drugs, drinks and chics are all present, not to mention the variety of weapons in pockets. But one thing is missing.

There’s no dance floor, and no one is paying attention to the music. My best guess would be the music is just to drown out the sound of a gun firing, which if the holes in the walls are any indication, happens quite often.

Paige feels the most uncomfortable in this, she’s still holding onto my hand and sticking really close as the men in the pub keep walking past several times over just to have a glance at her.

Fucking annoying pricks, would pluck out their eyes if it didn’t mean I’d be killed on the spot.

Although, if I’m fast enough about it, I could freeze time and execute them all before they even get a chance to properly react to my violence.

No, you can’t even stand the thought of leaving someone to possibly bleed to their death. But you want to kill outright?

I scoff at my arrogance but appreciate the fact that I know my limits. For now, the pricks can keep their eyeballs…for now.

“All you really have to do is introduce me to Invincibill.” I announce, proudly and loudly over the music.

He looks like he doesn’t hear me so I move to repeat myself but then he starts laughing.

He heard me.

He laughs for a moment, holding his stomach tightly as he does. I’m not at all sure why I’ve come across so many people who find my ideas so hilarious they have to grip themselves lest they spill over.

I let him have his laugh and speak once he’s done, “Are you done?”

He grins, wiping a tear away from his eyes, “I should’ve known you kids were a comedic routine.”

“We’re serious!” Paige yells, a lot louder than usual or maybe that’s because the music playing is coming to an end. She slams down an empty with traces of that iconic caramel coloured liquid. “We need to meet Invincibill.”

Wait, where the heck did she get that from?

I get my answer not a second after as she pulls out a bottle of the thing and pours herself what is definitely not her first drink.

“Uh, Paige...” I begin, but she downs the shot glass in a gulp and the man laughs again.

“Looks like your girl knows her liquor.” He comments, holding out his own glass for her to pour. She does so without question and he adds, “She’d have an easier time meeting Invincibill than you, runt.”

“Uh-”

“Thank you!” Paige says excitedly, “I always drink when I’m nervous, I’m not nervous a lot thanks to this guy but…” she trails off a bit as she swallows yet another shot, completely stunning me.

“What do you mean you drink when you’re nervous?” I exclaim, staring at her, “And…are you already drunk? You’re getting drunk here Paige?”

She shrugs, obviously tipsy, “It’s cuz of here I’m getting drunk.”

I should have dragged her back to the motel!

“Well, can you tell me more about your plans, Paige?” The man asks and I wonder what exactly his name is as I notice he’s taken to using Paige’s.

“First, what’s your name?” Paige asks, reading my mind.

With a sigh I pull my arm across her and snatch the bottle off the little snug corner in the couch she’s been storing it in, “You can have some more at the motel, for now, you’re sufficiently buzzed.”

She smiles and mutters something inaudible under her breath.

“My name is Rex.”

“Rex?” Paige and I repeat in unison.

“Yes, and no, it’s not a gang name or whatever, it’s my actual name. I’m Rex, and you’re Vern and she’s Paige. Nice to meet you…or maybe I should save that part for later.” He says, narrowing his eyes.

I roll my eyes and sigh, looking at tipsy, nearly out of it Paige.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what the plan is.” He nods, eager to hear it, “You introduce me to Invincibill as a solution to his Lynx problem, you can either charge him the price of your debt for the introduction as well as ask for your freedom.”

It’s plain to see he’s resisting yet another urge to laugh like crazy at what I’ve said with all that twitching his lips are doing.

“That still sounds hilarious, not gonna lie.” He snorts, “But you seem to be taking your words very seriously so you’re either crazy or lying. So, which is it kid?”

“Honestly…I’m a little of both and that’s why I’m the perfect person for the task Invincibill probably doesn’t even know he needs taken care of.”

He stares me down for a moment then leans back into his chair, tossing his glass back.

“Ah! This the good stuff.”

I don’t say anything to that, wouldn’t even know what to say.

“How do you know Invincibill hasn’t got someone on the job already? And why the hell, are you so confident that you can handle the Lynx problem.”

For the first time since we started speaking, I see a fiery look in Rex’s eyes. He’s still the same coward but that look, that’s a look of pure and utter desperation.

He wants me to be legit.

I snort, but nod, “If Invincibill has someone on the job then they aren’t doing the job right, Lynx has had the guts to pull blatant, sun up attacks on Invincibill’s territory. He’s so gutsy in his position, his security, the Lynx himself is attacking Invincibill’s men and rackets.”

I shake my head, disappointed, “If that isn’t a sign of how weak a position Invincibill is in then I don’t know what is.”

I’m done with my elevator pitch but Rex still stares intently at me, not a muscle relaxed.

“You still haven’t told me what makes you so good.”

“Oh, well, I’m a meta.”

Rex raises an eyebrow at this, “So what? Invincibill has several other metas in with him, you think you’re any better than them?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I think.”

At this Rex is taken aback, his eyes widen and his mouth falls open for a moment.

“You’re not going to tell me your powers, are you?”

A shaking head is all the answer he gets.

“Right.” He sighs dejectedly. I understand it’s a bit hard to understand exactly why I’m so confident, even more so as I’m asking him to take a risk on me being true to my word.

His eyes fall on Paige and with a finger he points, “I don’t suppose she’ll be joining as well.”

“No.” I say with firm finality.

Paige is now, conveniently fast asleep. For someone who drinks when she’s nervous she really can’t handle the alcohol.

“So, what do you say? Are you going to let me in?”

He bits his lips, obviously still mulling it over.

I give him another minute of nodding silently to himself and picking at his nails before I ask again.

“The worst that could happen is you get killed, which is already certainly guaranteed with your current line of work, not to mention Lynx, the freaking beast cannibal running around and killing everyone with yellow bands.”

“You’re not exactly of much value to the gang, you’re not a meta, you’re not a money maker, you’re a goon, a grunt. They’ll send you as cannon fodder, or in this case, mincemeat to distract Lynx or whoever is next to attack Invincibill.”

“So, why are you hesitating? When the best thing that could happen is you get a ton of money and are let loose, free to be a normal person in Xoxia, or any other city you want.”

He breathes in deeply, the coward in him slowly giving in.

“You’re right. For once, I should fight for something I want.”

For the first time since we sat down to talk, I have a smile spread over my face. “Perfect, what do we do first?”

He nods, “First? Well, first we have to become important, important enough for Invincibill to call on us.”