Chapter 21:

Head Splitting

Jace could hardly sleep that night. His thoughts returning to the first kiss he ever received. Agonizing over the feelings inside of himself. Thankfully, it didn't completely paralyze him. He had a job to do or his mother wouldn't have the money she needed.

The first order of business was taking a shower and getting dressed, then getting something to eat. As soon as he opened his fridge for something to eat, he was reminded of Liana, for the entire thing was full of different kinds of foods. Fruits, cheeses, lunchmeats, and on the go grab packs that she herself personally made.

"Damn it Liana..." Jace smiled lovingly as he grabbed one of the to-go packs. A little container with a sandwich and some vegetables. Her thoughtfulness making him love her even harder. She had always been like this, but not all these little actions hit him even harder than before.

Taking a breath, he closed the fridge and left his apartment. Music, upbeat and on the edge of rock, pop, and techno. Jace could easily move along to the beat, the lyrics empowering as he made his way out of the building. The corner of his vision highlighting the job details.

>Fixer: Black Suit

>Job: Recovery

>Brief: Package stolen from G.D. (Genetic Designs).

>G.D. Logo on the front, small and pocket size. Black casing.

>DO NOT OPEN.

>Location: Pendelton.

>Fee: 30,000C

It wasn't the first time corporations sent runners to do their dirty work. Often because they wanted to keep their hands free and dealings under the table. Jace wasn't new to this. He has done several jobs for corporations who lost packages. Part of him hopeful that maybe one of them may see his talents, but then again, he had to be careful.

An Ascended was a luxury. They'd as sooner lock him up and experiment on him just as they would hire him. For now, he had a job to do and made his way to Pendleton. Neo City's very own little London. A place that closely resembled The Stacks with its tight alleyways and looming buildings.

From Westview, it took roughly thirty minutes on foot walking. Jace, however, didn't walk. Just like muscles the magic Ascended used had to be exercised. Just like muscles, overdoing it was a bad idea. Still, he needed the exercise. The air rushing through his hair as the music blasted in his ears.

The beat pulsing through his bloodstream as it urged him onwards. It was a much-needed distraction as he felt the rush as he made his way across the roofs in short order. To any onlookers, it would just be a regular parkour expert, but to those with discerning eyes they'd know he was using magic to enhance his body. Propelling him forward with gusts of air.

In a short order of ten minutes, he found himself overlooking the posh oriented Pendleton. Knelt above the district as he looked down at the crowds. Just like the London of the past, many wore flat caps, modernized old suits, and dresses of a bygone era with hairstyles reminiscent of the time.

"Neo City...a churning pot of different styles so close together." Not many other cities could say the same. Most just having various alterations to the same style, but here in Neo City there were stark contrasts. However, he had no time to admire their fashion. He was in Sparrow's territory.

His eyes scanned the rooftops, attempting to spot any perchers. Luckily, the coast seemed clear. The job was simple. He had to recover the box. The Sparrow's were organized crime. Most of what they did was legal, but every so often they'd pull a heist. Either the one carrying the package got "lost" or its route changed last minute.

Finding his way down in a back alley, Jace made sure no one saw him as he exited into the streets of Pendleton. He was grateful he knew of the job ahead of time and prepared. Pulling his very own flat cap out of his pocket, he placed it upon his head as he dove into the crowds.

With a sweatshirt and flat cap, he wouldn't stand out too much. The only thing that might give him away was no modernized old suit. At worst, the locals should think he was just a street youth of Pendleton. As there were typical street wear upon some individuals.

Breathing in, he felt the flow of blood and mana. Breathing out he channeled it into his throat. The next time he would talk, he'd have a Pendleton accent. A useful, subtle trick. There was one place he could go to hear about a recent heist. Jackson's.

A speakeasy bar in the very heart of Neo City's very own Pendleton. A front for a casino in the back. As Jace said, the Sparrows were "mostly" legal. Jackson's was situated at the back of a long alley after several turns. Hidden from the view of the public, and only those who knew the streets or lived in Pendleton even knew of its existence.

Steam lifted from the vents in the streets as Jace made his way down the back alleys. Fire escapes hung over him, and those huddled together at corners all eyed him. "Sparrows..." He was in the thick of it now, but walked with a purpose. As if he belonged.

As he approached the turn towards Jackson's, a group of four surrounded him. Long trench coats with old suits underneath. Their flat caps neat and taken care of. Jace stopped in his tracks, feigning surprise.

"Yes boys?" Jace's voice came off a bit high and cheery, "What can I do ya for?"

"Ain't seen you around here before," One of them spoke up, his tone a bit distinct with the roughness of it, "Where ya from?"

"Oh, just done the way," Jace motioned vaguely, "You know how it is."

They eyed him cautiously, Jace looking among them with as bright of eyes he could manage. Trying to act the youth. He was a bit nervous, not wanting to fight just yet.

"Fair enough," The same one spoke, tilting his head, "So, where ya going?"

"Down ta Jackson's for a bit," Jace smiled, rubbing the back of his neck as he laughed, "Long day ahead, thought I'd refill, ya know?"

"I know that," One of the four spoke up, "Alright, head on ya lad."

"Much appreciated!" Jace made his way by them as they opened a path, only to feel a blade press into his back.

"You think we'd be that oblivious?" The thickness to the words held a deadly edge, "Just cause ya got that cap don't mean we don't know you...Arc."

"Now fellas, what do you mean?" Jace held his hands up as the blade pressed further against him, "I just wanna head to Jackson's. Whoever this Arc is, it ain't me."

One of the Sparrow's walked around to stand before him. One that hid his face with more than just his flat cap. Jace watched as he lowered the cap to reveal a face scarred by fractal lines. The mark of lightning. One eye white with black cybernetic lines right where the scars crossed. His other eye a bright blue.

"Do you remember me?" He said, his accent probably the thickest of them all with its roughness as he seemed to mash his words, "I've been looking for you."

Jace could only stare as he tried to recall this man. He had been to Pendleton a handful of times but couldn't remember running into anyone with scars like these. His look of confusion only caused the man to get angry.

"You did this!" He pointed to his eye, "A year ago! Do you not even recall?"

Jace thought back to a year ago, pressing his hand to his head in thought. "A year ago..." He recalled a smuggling operation around here during that time, but everyone there had died or fled before he showed himself. He was pretty sure no one saw him. "Wait..." A recognition entered his face as Jace recalled him.

"Right! You're the one who held that girl hostage!" Jace exclaimed, pointing a finger at him, "You fucking coward."

Jace remembered clearly as Jace confronted that smuggling operation. There was one who fled, and he followed because he was still carrying contraband. Jace's job was simple. Stop the operation. A job from the Neo City PD. Someone paid under the table because they couldn't get the right evidence to do a raid.

"I've been scarred because of you!" The man fumed before him to which Jace could only recoil in disgust.

"Shouldn't have held that girl hostage," Jace told him with disgust in his voice, "But now that I know...I won't have to go to Jackson's."

The man tilted his head as he nodded to his friend behind him. His knife plunging into Jace's back. Only...it didn't. Jace raised his eyebrow curiously as the man behind him widened his eyes.

"Everything alright back there?" Jace asked, dropping his accent and the power granting him the change in his vocal cords.

The man slowly brought up a very bent, very useless knife. The spot in Jace's back glowing with a thin layer of solid green energy. As the man met Jace's eyes, he saw the glowing neon blue as they finally realized it.

"A-Ascen-" Before the man even finished the word, Jace brought his elbow back with force.

Blood gushed from his nose as he was sent flying into two of his buddies. Jace's hand shot out towards the scarred man in front of him. Hand tightening around his throat.

"Did you...really forget I was Ascended?" Jace tilted his head, shaking it as he did, "Did I fry your brain when I hit you?"

The man struggled against him, but instead of fear, he smirked. It was in that moment Jace's hair stood on its end as the smell of ozone filled his nostrils. The sound of electricity before lightning shot towards Jace, rocking him forward. His grip upon the man not loosening even as he smirked in triumph.

"...I see," Jace cracked his neck and rolled his shoulder as it, too, cracked, "You want to play."

The man's smugness dropped when he realized Jace was unharmed. The thin veil of greenish blue surrounding him. His head immediately turning towards the culprit. One of the four held his hand out, finger forward as their eyes glowed heavily. "Mana stimmer..." The pulsating veins up his neck glowed with a greenish hue. On the ground was a syringe lying next to a black case. The initials G.D. emblazoned upon it.

"...Son of a bitch," Jace's hand tightened on the man's throat, "It was you?"

"Keh...Had to...get you here...somehow..." The man spoke through coughing.

"And if it wasn't me?" Jace narrowed his eyes at him.

"We'd...Find you..." He struggled against his grip, "Take out any...other...runner..."

The smell of ozone filled his nostrils again as another bolt of lightning was sent Jace's way. His free hand going up as he channeled his own power into his hand. Immediately as the bolt touched him, it was absorbed into him as he felt it channel through him into the man he held. It felt tingly as it passed through him, blasting out of the man's throat as his eyes went wide. Then...lifeless.

"Ah...what a waste," Jace dropped the man, the burning hole in his throat smoking as Jace turned his attention towards the remaining three, "Shall we have some fun then?"

Jace's head felt dizzy as he took a step forward. His head spinning as he realized he still hadn't recovered completely. "Shit...I gotta make this quick." Charging himself, electricity crackled over his body as he recalled the feeling from all those years ago. He had honed this skil since then.

His muscles moving faster than was normally humanly possible. Charged by electricity and increased reactions.

"I'll show you, fledgling...what a real Ascended can do," Jace lurched forward, closing the distance in a blink of the eye.

His hand plunging palm first into the face of the one he previously hit in the elbow. Ozone filled the area as lightning shot through his face. Blood exploding around him as brain and tech fell over everyone. Jace held up a barrier to keep himself clean, but it was enough of a shock to hold the other two still for him to act.

Frozen in fear, the third man had no chance as Jace leapt up with a kick. Powered by the increased reflexes and enhanced speed there was no more head left. Splattering the fledgling magic user. Mana stims. They could only do so much, but whatever was in that syringe was something from Genetic Designs. "Are they trying to make manufactured Ascended?"

Concerned, but with still a job to do, Jace knelt down as he felt his head pound with pain. Grabbing the syringe, he placed it back in the box as he closed it. Turning his attention to the remaining Sparrow, the one who took the drug, Jace saw the fear in his eyes.

"Answer me," Jace held up the case, "What was in here?"

"I-I don't know...just a new mana stim!" The man stuttered, fearful as the glow in his eyes faded, "That's what I was told!"

"...Fuck," Jace sighed as he pocketed it.

With the sudden fading of his power, the man made one last desperate attempt to attack Jace. Jace watched as he gathered electricity from the air. Crackling energy surrounded his hand as he held it out towards Jace. Jace could feel his head about to explode from his own strain. He had no time for any fancy gimmicks now.

With a grim expression, Jace braced himself as he felt the final surge he had in him propel him forward. His arm outstretched as it took the last man's head clean off. The shimmer around his arm as sharp as any blade as electricity crackled around him. Looking around, he was lucky to see that no one else was nearby.

Cursing to himself, Jace released the power inside of himself. Immediately, the rush of pain and dizziness hit him. His guts coming up mixed with blood as he propped himself up against a nearby wall. "Ugh...shit..." Taking several breaths, he attempted to gather himself.

>To Black Suit: Job's fucked.

>From Black Suit: How so?

>To Black Suit: Fuckers used it.

>From Black Suit: Hold a moment.

Jace contacted the fixer to inform them of the job. Jace didn't think it would be wrapped up so easily. It saved him the trouble of finding it, but to think it would have been a revenge plot. After a moment, a message appeared.

>From Black Suit: Did you kill them?

>To Black Suit: Client's orders?

>From Black Suit: Yes.

>To Black Suit: Of course it was...but yeah, they're dead.

>From Black Suit: Payment wired. Get out of there.

Jace was surprised he got a payment at all as he watched his account even get a bonus of an extra 5000 credits. Tacked on for "disposal". Jace could only shake his head, which was killing him, as he made his way away from the bodies. Finding him a nice, quiet place above the streets to relax.

Feeling the wind on his face, he stared out over Neo City. Off in the distance he could see the tall, walled city of The Stacks. So close together. Bad memories permeated that place, and off in the distance was the shining beacon of New Eden.

A little ways off, he could also make out the bright neon signs of Westview. Further off were the holograms of Little Asia. The High Rises of Palm Hills. The spot he found could see almost all of it. It was one of many hidden spots he knew of in his time of running. A place he could go and relax. To catch his breath.

Reaching into his pocket, he felt for the bottle he always had with him. Pills that would help with the pain. Courtesy of Balek, for Nadine used the same. He stared at the bottle, grateful for the pills, but even more so was the lunch Liana had packed him. Opening it up, she even put in a juice packet. "Thanks..." He silently appreciated her efforts and his.

Downing two of the pills, he took it with the juice provided and began to eat his lunch. "Don't forget to rest," Liana's stern face overlapped with another, more recent memory. "Don't overdo it," Selene's voice echoed in his head.

"...I guess I'll take the rest of the day off," Jace leaned back against the wall, looking out over the city as he bit into sandwich. The cool breeze feeling good against his pounding head.

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Nikushimi

Experimenting with some colored text to better differentiate things. Will be going back to edit previous chapters. Let me know if you like it and if it makes it easier for some things. Edit: Ah, I forgot some people may not use dark mode...the colors are easier to read on dark mode. Especially since I made the text white ^_^'' Upon further thought, I will be removing the color text. Thought it might add a bit to the story but may just be too distracting.

Also, may be releasing single chapters here and there unless it's an arc. In which case I will most likely release chapters in bulk. Thank you for being here <3